LIVE: 2026 Austrian Grand Prix - Free Practice 3

Mercedes heads into Saturday's final practice at the high-altitude Red Bull Ring with dominant momentum from Friday, as Kimi Antonelli topped both opening sessions ahead of qualifying for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's Friday sweep signals a potential shift in the competitive order, with the Italian posting a 1:07.014 in FP2 to underline Mercedes' early strength at Spielberg. With this final session offering the last chance to validate set-up changes before qualifying, FP3 will reveal whether rivals can close the gap or if Mercedes has already established a genuine edge.

The details:

• Antonelli led both sessions, lowering his benchmark from a 1:07.796 in FP1 to a 1:07.014 in FP2, while team-mate George Russell ran just 0.040s behind in the morning.
• Oscar Piastri finished Friday third-fastest, suggesting McLaren could emerge as the closest challenger.
• Teams are working through final ride-height adjustments, tyre strategies and balance tweaks ahead of qualifying.
• The compact Red Bull Ring layout leaves minimal margin for error, making clean laps essential for gathering representative data.

What's next:

All eyes now turn to qualifying to see if Mercedes can convert its practice pace into pole position. If Antonelli and Russell maintain their form, a front-row lockout is within reach, though expect McLaren and perhaps Ferrari or Red Bull to unlock more pace as track conditions evolve.