#Antonelli heads @MercedesAMGF1 one-two in #AustrianGP #FP1 session. #F1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, #12, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W17, Free Practice 1, Formula 1 Lenovo Austrian Grand Prix 2026, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria. Image credit to Clive Rose/Getty Images. Antonelli Austrian GP FP1, 2026 Austrian GP FP1, Austrian GP FP1 Results, F1 Austrian GP FP1 Results, Austrian Grand Prix FP1 Results, 2026 F1 Austrian GP FP1 Results.
Antonelli Austrian GP FP1 – Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli lead from team-mate George Russell to take a Mercedes one-two in opening practice at the Austrian GP as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri rounded out the top three.
Antonelli – who suffered a shock retirement last time-out in Barcelona – on the C5 red-marked softer compounds posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:07.796 and was a slim 0.040 seconds clear of team-mate Russell whilst Piastri was a furth 0.117 seconds adrift of the Italian in third.
Like in Barcelona last time out, the reserve drivers were back in the seats of regulars for opening practice:
- Luke Browning for Williams in place of Carlos Sainz.
- Jak Crawford for Aston Martin in place of Lance Stroll.
- Paul Aron for Audi in place of Gabriel Bortoleto.
- Ryo Hirakawa for Haas in place of Esteban Ocon.
- Ayumu Iwasa for Racing Bulls in place of Liam Lawson.
- Dino Beganovic for Ferrari in place of Charles Leclerc.
Reigning world champion Norris had an issue with his MCL40, it was up on stands with the floor off so the Briton would not be out anytime soon.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar also had an issue and was stuck in the garage.
Beganovic lead the pack out on the C4 yellow side-walled medium compound.
Cadillac’s Sergio Perez was the first to register the benchmark of a 1:13.530 as Iwasa slotted into second on a 1:16.942 as Beganovic placed third with a 1:24.134.
Colapinto went fastest with a 1:11.721, which was ousted by Antonelli’s 1:11.029 as Williams’ Alexander Albon jumped to second with his 1:11.316.
Russell went quickest with two purples setting a 1:10.407 to be 0.622 ahead of his championship leading team-mate.
The yellows were out in the pit lane – Verstappen had stopped. He had radioed to say anti-stall kept kicking in, and the Red Bull mechanics were pushing his RB22 towards the garage under those waved yellows.
Hulkenberg pushed his Audi to second to be 0.150 off Russell’s benchmark as Albon placed fourth.
Antonelli went even quicker, setting a 1:09.119 on the medium rubber to be 1.288 seconds clear of team-mate Russell as Arvid Lindblad put his VCARB racer third with a 1:10.425 effort.
Russell came even closer to team-mate Antonelli posting the best sector three time ending up 0.042 seconds off with a 1:09.161 flyer on the medium tyres.
Norris’s MCL40 had a hydraulics leak forcing the Briton to be stuck in the garage the McLaren team confirmed.
Albon on his next tour on the hards was up into fifth with a 1:10.853 at the 12th-minute mark of proceedings.
Replays showed Antonelli suffer a front-left-lock-up into turn one and taking an excursion into the run-off-area.
Antonelli improved with a personal best sector three to post a 1:09.001 to be 0.160 seconds clear of team-mate Russell just before the end of the opening quarter of the hour-long session.
Russell was next with two personal bests to jump his team-mate at the head of the pile, setting a 1:08.898 to go 0.103 seconds clear of team-mate Antonelli.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg matched third-placed Lindblad’s 1:10.425 to go fourth in the order.
Haas’s Oliver Bearman with three personal best efforts moved up to sixth overall to end up 1.554 seconds off Russell’s best time.
Colapinto with a personal best middle sector jumped to fifth setting a 1:10.450 as his team-mate Pierre Gasly wounded up 1.552 seconds off Russell’s best time in third.
Championship leader Antonelli jumped to P1 posting a 1:08.448 to be 0.450 seconds clear of Russell as Hulkenberg moved to third with a 1:10.282.
Verstappen was finally out on-track and with the C5 softer rubber and jumped to third with a 1:09.043 to end up over half-a-second off Antonelli as McLaren’s Piastri placed fourth 0.885 adrift of Antonelli’s benchmark.
Both Beganovic and Hamilton on their flyers moved up into fifth and sixth places respectively with 1:09.871 and 1:10.011 efforts.
Piastri reported his brake pedal was long and very inconsistent after setting his flyer.
Verstappen improved to a 1:08.900 to end up 0.452 seconds off Antonelli’s time-topper.
Lindblad with three personal best efforts on the mediums jumped to seventh in the classification posting a 1:10.020.
Replays showed Hamilton suffering a massive lock-up into the turn three right-hander as his team-mate for the session Beganovic also had an off-track excursion into turn one.
Both Mercedes of Antonelli and Russell were on fresh sets of softer tyres as the session past the first half-hour.
Antonelli posted a 1:07.796 to go even faster at the top as Russell improved to a 1:07.915 to end up 0.119 seconds adrift of his team-mate in second.
Hulkenberg with three personal bests moved up to fifth in the order to be 1.369 off Antonelli’s benchmark.
Hamilton moved up to sixth to be 1.747 off Antonelli’s best time with his 1:09.543 as his continue to circulate the Red Bull Ring on the mediums.
Colapinto on the C5’s with three personal bests was up to fourth setting a 1:08.962 to be 1.166 adrift off Antonelli.
Russell was next with a personal best middle sector and a purple final sector three to go 0.040 seconds off team-mate Antonelli to remain in second.
Gasly improved on his next flyer with two personal bests to post a 1:09.546 to end up ninth overall with 20 minutes remaining on the clock.
Hamilton emerged on the C5 softer tyre, and the Barcelona GP winner last time out put his Ferrari up into third with his 1:08.549 after three personal bests and ended up 0.753 seconds off Antonelli’s best time.
Iwasa pushed his VCARB to 10th in the classification setting a 1:09.637 as replays showed both Hajdar and Antonelli run wide into turn one.
Bearman with three personal best efforts moved to eighth and ended up 1.275 seconds off Antonelli’s best time.
Piastri was next on the C5’s and jumped to third in the classification after setting three personal bests to put in a time of a 1:07.913 as his team-mate Norris emerged after his hydraulics leak was fixed.
Hamilton with two personal best opening sectors improved his time but remained in fourth place setting a 1:08.461.
Beganovic with three personal bests also improved to eighth on a 1:09.054 as Verstappen on another hot-lap pipped Hamilton to fourth posting a 1:08.077.
Hirakawa running the C5’s moved to 19th in the order on a 1:10.493 to end up 2.697 seconds off Antonelli’s benchmark as replays showed Beganovic have a moment out of the final corner.
Norris on the medium rubber improved to seventh in the order posting a 1:08.873 as Hadjar placed 12th with three personal best effort with a 1:09.481.
Norris with his late run on the C5 red side-walled softer compounds suffered a moment out the exit of turn four and had to abandon his flyer.
The session ended under a red flag as Perez came to a halt near the turn three right-hander.
Antonelli finished FP1 on top ahead of Russell as Piastri rounded out the top three.
Verstappen was fourth and in-front of Barcelona GP winner Hamilton who was fifth and Lindblad who took sixth.
Reigning world champion Norris ended up seventh and ahead of Colapinto who finished Free Practice 1 in eighth.
Beganovic was the quickest rookie in ninth for Ferrari whilst Bearman completed the top ten.
You can see the full Formula 1 Lenovo Austrian Grand Prix 2026 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 LENOVO AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 – PRACTICE 1
