Austrian GP: Antonelli leads Mercedes one-two as Verstappen, Norris hit trouble

Mercedes laid down a commanding early marker at the Austrian Grand Prix as Kimi Antonelli led a team one-two in a drama-filled opening practice. While the Silver Arrows ran faultlessly, Red Bull and McLaren endured a nightmare FP1 as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were both hit by mechanical failures.

Why it matters:

The gap between Mercedes and the rest was stark, with Antonelli finishing over a second clear of Verstappen despite the Dutchman eventually taking third. Red Bull arrived with its most aggressive upgrade package of the season, but the session was dominated by anti-stall and clutch issues rather than performance gains. Norris missed the bulk of the hour with a suspected hydraulic leak, depriving McLaren of crucial data as track temperatures hit a blistering 49 degrees Celsius.

The details:

• Antonelli set the benchmark with a 1:07.796 on soft tires, narrowly pipping George Russell by just over a tenth.
• Verstappen's Red Bull repeatedly triggered anti-stall in the pit lane, costing him valuable early running. When he did emerge, he reported a crippling lack of grip and overheating tires on his way to P3.
• Isack Hadjar also faced problems in the sister Red Bull, joining the session late after his car was raised on the stands at the green light.
• Norris was stranded in the garage for most of the hour as McLaren hunted a hydraulic leak. He eventually ventured out for a brief run before abandoning his soft-tire push partway through the lap.
• Oscar Piastri offered McLaren a lifeline by lapping within 0.12 seconds of the benchmark on mediums, good enough for third despite an inconsistent brake pedal.
• The session ended early when red flags flew after Sergio Perez stopped his Cadillac with power issues at Turn 1.

What's next:

Red Bull now faces a critical repair job to solve the anti-stall gremlins on both Verstappen and Hadjar's cars before qualifying. McLaren must squeeze a full program into Norris's remaining practice time to validate its new rear wing. With the W17 already looking comfortable on both compounds and a heatwave set to continue, Mercedes is poised to control the weekend if it carries this form into Saturday.