#F1 #AustrianGP #FP3: @GeorgeRussell63 pips @MercedesAMGF1 team-mate #Antonelli by 0.038s.
George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W17, Free Practice 3, Formula 1 Lenovo Austrian Grand Prix 2026, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria. Image credit to Clive Mason/Getty Images. Russell Austrian GP FP3, 2026 Austrian GP FP3 Results, F1 Austrian GP FP3 Results, Austrian Grand Prix FP3 Results, 2026 F1 Austrian GP FP3 Results.
Russell Austrian GP FP3 – George Russell pipped team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli to lead a Mercedes one-two in FP3 at the Austrian GP as Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three.
Russell on the C5 red-marked softer compound set the session-topping time of a 1:07.096 and was only 0.038 seconds ahead of team-mate Antonelli whilst Barcelona GP winner Hamilton was a further 0.115 seconds off his fellow British-compatriot in third.
Cadillac’s Sergio Perez was the first to venture out on-track with the C4 yellow-branded mediums.
The Mexican who endured a difficult day yesterday hampered by multiple issues posted the early benchmark of a 1:11.437.
After the fifth-minute-mark, Perez was the only one circulating the track.
At the tenth-minute of proceedings, the Cadillac driver went even quicker, lowering the benchmark to a 1:10.944 as Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg joined the Mexican out on circuit.
Replays showed Perez suffer a lock-up into turn one and into the run-off area.
Perez completed his seven-lap stint on the mediums as Colapinto on the C5’s went to P1 with a 1:09.829, which was beaten by Hulkenberg’s 1:09.684 also on the softer compounds.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was next on the harder tyre, and the Frenchman went even faster on a 1:09.230 to go 0.454 seconds clear of Hulkenberg.
Just past the opening quarter of the session, the big guns emerged as reigning world champion Lando Norris, Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ George Russell all came on the softer tyres.
Norris jumped to the top with three purples to post a 1:07.832 and over 1.398 seconds clear of the hard-running Hadjar.
Hamilton was next with two personal bests and a purple sector three to go 0.345 seconds off Norris in second.
Russell with three personal bests was up into third best on a 1:08.332 as Leclerc slotted into fifth setting a 1:08.635.
Hulkenberg on three personal bests pipped Leclerc into sixth on the classification posting a 1:08.631.
Piastri was next in the other MCL40 entry and the Australian with a purple sector three jumped into second and only 0.049 seconds off team-mate Norris with his 1:07.881 effort.
Championship leader Antonelli followed with three purples to go quickest with a 1:07.533 with 38 minutes remaining.
Four-time world champion Verstappen set three personal bests to go second and 0.271 seconds off Antonelli’s best time. The Dutchman set a 1:07.804.
Russell posted a purple final sector after two personal bests to go behind his team-mate in second with a 1:07.706.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton was on another flyer and with a purple opening sector and two personal bests went third overall on a 1:07.790 and 0.257 seconds off Antonelli’s benchmark.
Leclerc with three personal bests split the Mercedes in second posting a 1:07.688 with 35 minutes left on the clock.
Gabriel Bortoleto in the Audi moved into tenth place setting a 1:08.625 to end up 1.092 seconds off Antonelli’s best time.
Verstappen with the best middle sector went fourth overall setting a 1:07.746 to be 0.213 off Antonelli’s time-topper.
Russell with a personal best middle sector and purple sector three was up into second place on a 1:07.550 to end up a narrow 0.017 seconds off team-mate Antonelli.
Replays showed both Russell and Norris suffering lock-ups into the turn three right-hander.
Norris went up into third with two personal bests to end up 0.148 seconds off Antonelli just past the halfway point of the session.
Piastri with three personal bests pipped McLaren team-mate Norris into third setting a 1:07.671 to be 0.138 seconds off Antonelli’s best effort.
Hamilton was next and remained in seventh despite a personal best middle sector as Antonelli improved his time at the top on a 1:07.134 to go 0.416 seconds clear of Russell.
Verstappen with a personal best third sector was up into third with a 1:07.607 but only momentarily as Leclerc snatch the place off the Dutchman with his 1:07.558 flyer.
RB’s Liam Lawson went up to eighth to be 0.904 seconds off Antonelli whilst Norris improved to a 1:07.676 but stayed in sixth place on the classification.
With less than 22 minutes remaining, all the top seven of Antonelli, Russell, Leclerc, Verstappen, Piastri, Norris and Hamilton were all in the pits adjusting their setups before heading out again.
Replays showed Williams’ Carlos Sainz run wide at the penultimate corner and continued on.
Championship leader Antonelli was the first of the front-runners with less than 17 minutes on the clock to come out on a set of the C5’s.
Antonelli got the quickest final sector but was unable to improve as Verstappen jumped to second to be 0.235 seconds off Antonelli.
Norris with a purple middle sector was up into second with a 1:07.360 but only briefly as Hamilton pipped his fellow British-compatriot in second on a 1:07.211 to end up only 0.011 seconds adrift of Antonelli’s best time.
Replays showed Leclerc suffer a front-left lock-up into the uphill turn three right-hander.
Russell with three personal bests shot to third overall posting a 1:07.326 to end up 0.192 seconds off team-mate Antonelli’s best effort.
Replays also showed Hadjar suffering a front-right lock-up into turn three on his flyer.
Lindblad with three personal bests went ninth-best on a 1:08.109 and behind Racing Bulls team-mate Lawson.
Piastri on his hot-lap with two personal bests went fourth-quickest setting a 1:07.344 to go above team-mate Norris.
Hadjar improved to ninth to split the RB entries with a 1:08.046.
Russell was next with less than two minutes remaining and with two personal best and a purple sector three went fastest on a 1:07.096 to end up 0.038 seconds quicker than team-mate Antonelli.
Leclerc with a personal best middle sector improved but remained seventh-overall with a 1:07.452 as Hadjar slotted into eighth and 0.816 seconds off Antonelli’s best time.
FP3 ended with Russell in-front of team-mate Antonelli whilst Hamilton completed the top three.
Piastri was the lead McLaren in fourth place ahead of team-mate Norris as Verstappen ended Free Practice 3 sixth at Red Bull’s home Grand Prix.
Leclerc held seventh in the other SF-26 entry with Hadjar in the second RB22 eighth.
The two RB’s of Lawson and Lindblad completed the top ten.
You can see the full Formula 1 Lenovo Austrian Grand Prix 2026 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 LENOVO AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 – PRACTICE 3
#F1 #AustrianGP FP2: #Antonelli fastest ahead of @McLarenF1 duo.
#Antonelli heads @MercedesAMGF1 one-two in #AustrianGP #FP1 session. #F1
