Mercedes’ Antonelli Sets Blistering Pace in Austrian GP Long Runs, Ferrari Upgrades Miss Mark

Spielberg, Austria – Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, firmly established Mercedes as the team to beat during Friday practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, dominating both free practice sessions and showcasing formidable long-run pace. His performance positions Mercedes strongly for the weekend, while rivals, particularly Ferrari, grappled with unexpected setbacks despite introducing significant upgrades.

Antonelli, who has been a revelation this season, consistently topped the timesheets throughout the day at the Red Bull Ring. Crucially, the Italian driver also delivered the strongest long-run pace, a critical indicator for Sunday’s race performance. In the second practice session, traditionally dedicated to high-fuel long runs and tyre degradation analysis, Antonelli emerged as the fastest driver. After adjustments for varying tyre compounds and stint lengths, he held a significant 0.06-second per lap advantage over his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. This tight intra-team battle at the front underscores Mercedes’ overall strength, with both drivers demonstrating impressive consistency and tyre management. The Silver Arrows appeared to manage tyre degradation exceptionally well, averaging roughly one-tenth of a second per lap degradation while simultaneously posting faster overall lap times compared to their closest competitors. This efficiency could prove decisive in a race expected to be heavily influenced by tyre wear.

Ferrari’s Frustration: Upgrades Fail to Deliver

In stark contrast to Mercedes’ dominant display, Friday proved to be a deeply disappointing day for Scuderia Ferrari. The Italian outfit had arrived in Spielberg brimming with confidence, fresh off a victory in Spain where they introduced a significant chassis upgrade that appeared to boost their performance. For Austria, Ferrari further enhanced their package with a new power unit update, hoping to take another decisive step forward in their championship campaign.

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However, the reality on track fell well short of these lofty expectations. Ferrari struggled immensely, failing to find competitive pace over both a single lap and in the crucial long runs. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion slated to join Ferrari next season, finished the second practice session a substantial 0.597 seconds off Antonelli’s pace. His adjusted long-run deficit was even more concerning, standing at 0.51 seconds per lap, indicating significant struggles with race pace and tyre management.

Charles Leclerc, who handed his car over to rookie Dino Beganovic during the opening practice session, also struggled to find his rhythm. The Monegasque driver was 0.841 seconds behind Antonelli in qualifying simulation runs, and his long-run deficit dramatically increased to 0.97 seconds per lap. This nearly one-second gap to Mercedes over a race stint is a major cause for concern for a team that had recently shown genuine title contention.

A closer analysis of Ferrari’s performance revealed that they lost the majority of their time through the more technical second and third sectors of the Red Bull Ring. The deficit to Mercedes was considerably smaller in the top-speed-dependent opening sector, although this is also the shortest part of the lap. This suggests that the issues might be more aerodynamic or chassis-related, rather than purely a power unit deficiency, which is particularly perplexing given their recent chassis upgrade in Spain. On Friday in Spielberg, little remained of Ferrari’s previously impressive chassis performance, leaving the team with a significant challenge to understand and rectify their issues overnight. Their recent triumph in Spain now seems a distant memory, replaced by a renewed sense of urgency to unlock the potential of their upgraded package.

McLaren’s Tyre Troubles Mirror Barcelona

McLaren, who have emerged as strong contenders in recent races, showed a mixed bag of performance on Friday, with striking similarities to their struggles with tyre degradation observed just last weekend in Barcelona. While their overall long-run package was the second-fastest on the grid, they still trailed Mercedes by an adjusted 0.21 seconds per lap. More critically, excessive tyre degradation proved to be a significant weakness, despite their cars showing competitive pace at the beginning of each stint.

Oscar Piastri initially looked strong over a single lap, finishing just 0.237 seconds behind Antonelli and notably ahead of his teammate Lando Norris (+0.325). However, the picture changed completely during the long runs, where Piastri visibly struggled with maintaining tyre performance. His adjusted long-run deficit to Mercedes amounted to 0.50 seconds per lap, roughly three-tenths slower than Norris, who managed his tyres more effectively despite his slower single-lap pace. Overall, McLaren suffered from tyre degradation of approximately three-tenths of a second per lap, a concerning figure when compared to the Mercedes drivers, who averaged roughly one-tenth per lap while simultaneously producing faster lap times. This recurring issue with tyre wear could severely hamper McLaren’s race strategy and overall competitiveness come Sunday.

Red Bull’s Upgrade Puzzle Remains Unsolved

Red Bull Racing, the reigning world champions, were also under intense scrutiny in Spielberg as they introduced their second major upgrade package of the season. Following a substantial update in Miami that brought significant gains, this new package was expected to deliver the "final step" towards solidifying their position at the front. However, like Ferrari, the anticipated breakthrough failed to materialise on Friday.

Max Verstappen, the current world champion, was 0.550 seconds adrift of Antonelli in qualifying simulation runs, placing him outside the immediate contention for pole position. His adjusted long-run deficit stood at 0.27 seconds per lap, a considerable gap to make up. Verstappen also struggled noticeably with tyre degradation, echoing concerns from other top teams. The Red Bull car consistently lost time to the Mercedes across all three sectors of the circuit, indicating a broader performance deficit rather than an isolated issue. Despite these challenges, Red Bull currently appears to be the third-fastest team, positioned behind Mercedes and McLaren in terms of raw pace. The team will be working tirelessly overnight on setup changes, hoping to unlock the potential of their new package and alter the competitive order before Saturday’s crucial qualifying session and Sunday’s race. The pressure is on for the Milton Keynes squad to find answers quickly at their home Grand Prix.

Midfield Dynamics: Audi Impresses, Aston Martin Struggles

The midfield battle painted a familiar picture, albeit with some notable shifts in performance. Alpine, Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri), and Audi currently appear to make up the leading midfield group, demonstrating encouraging pace. They are followed by Haas and Williams, with a noticeable gap separating them from the front-running midfield contenders. At the back, Cadillac and Aston Martin found themselves struggling significantly.

Nico Hulkenberg, driving for Audi, once again impressed with a strong long-run performance, trailing Mercedes by just 0.80 seconds per lap. Audi also introduced a comprehensive upgrade package in Spielberg, and Hulkenberg’s pace suggests these updates are working. However, as has been the case on previous Fridays this season, the persistent question remains whether Audi can finally convert this promising practice pace into meaningful championship points during qualifying and the race.

Alpine (+0.83 seconds per lap) and Racing Bulls (+0.94 seconds per lap) also delivered encouraging long-run pace, positioning themselves firmly within the midfield fight for points. Haas, on what is traditionally one of its stronger circuits due to its short, high-speed nature, lost 1.27 seconds per lap to Mercedes, indicating a tougher weekend than anticipated. Williams (+1.82 seconds per lap) and Aston Martin (+3.03 seconds per lap) were clearly off the pace, struggling significantly for both single-lap and long-run performance. Adding to the backmarker woes, Cadillac was unable to complete any representative long runs due to technical problems, further complicating their weekend analysis.

Heatwave Reshapes Race Strategy: Three-Stop Race a Possibility

Beyond the individual team performances, the ongoing European heatwave has firmly reached Spielberg and is expected to have a major impact on race strategy. Temperatures are soaring, leading to higher track temperatures that significantly affect tyre performance and degradation. Last year, the frontrunners typically completed the Austrian Grand Prix with two pit stops, while some midfield teams even managed a single stop. Under the current blistering conditions, however, a one-stop race in 2026 appears highly unlikely.

Friday’s long runs produced an average tyre degradation figure of 0.164 seconds per lap across the field, a substantially higher rate than typically desired for a two-stop race. As a direct consequence of this accelerated wear, a three-stop strategy, similar to what was witnessed in Barcelona, has now become a realistic and potentially necessary possibility for many teams. That said, the circuit is expected to gain grip as the weekend progresses, which could reduce tyre wear to some extent, but the impact of the heat remains a dominant factor.

Pirelli Head of Motorsport, Dario Marrafuschi, articulated the tyre manufacturer’s concerns to Sky, stating: "We didn’t really expect such warm conditions here in Austria. We’ve brought the three softest compounds, and tyre degradation has been higher than anticipated." He elaborated on the pre-weekend predictions: "Before the weekend, we expected either a one-stop or a two-stop race, with two stops being slightly quicker. Under these conditions, however, we’ve measured tyre degradation of almost two tenths per lap during the long runs. At the moment, I therefore expect the race to be at least a two-stop affair." Marrafuschi’s assessment underscores the severity of the challenge, indicating that teams will need to be flexible and adaptive with their strategies to manage the high tyre degradation effectively throughout the 71-lap race. The extreme conditions promise a tactical battle, where tyre management will be paramount.

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Jonas Leo

Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.

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