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Exciting Moments Unfold in Final F1 Practice at Austrian GP
Highlights
- George Russell topped final practice with a 1:07.096 lap time.
- Kimi Antonelli led most session but finished second behind Russell.
- Lewis Hamilton placed third, showing progress with Ferrari’s new engine.
- Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secured fourth and fifth respectively.
- Max Verstappen battled radio interference, finishing sixth in practice.
George Russell tops final practice before qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix with a 1:07.096, edging Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.038 seconds after a decisive final sector late in the session.
Antonelli controls much of the hour with a 1:07.134 set past halfway, but cannot lower it on later soft-tyre runs, leaving him exposed as track evolution improves.
Russell’s lap is marginally slower than Antonelli’s Friday benchmark, yet crucially faster than Antonelli’s best on Saturday, underscoring a tight intra-team battle heading into qualifying.
Russell clocks 1:07.096 to lead FP3, 0.038s clear of Antonelli.
Lewis Hamilton takes third for Ferrari, 0.115s behind Russell, indicating encouraging gains from the team’s upgraded power unit introduced for the weekend.
McLaren maintains its form as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris classify fourth and fifth, consolidating the team’s baseline pace ahead of parc fermé and qualifying.
Max Verstappen battles persistent radio interference while evaluating the upgraded Red Bull RB22, limiting execution. He ends sixth, 0.273s off Antonelli’s best.
Radio interference disrupts Verstappen’s programme with the upgraded RB22; he still takes P6.
Rookie Isack Hadjar cannot match Verstappen’s reference, lapping nearly six-tenths slower and finishing just ahead of the Racing Point cars.
Charles Leclerc places seventh, 0.356s down, while Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad secure ninth and tenth respectively as the midfield compresses.
Pierre Gasly leads Alpine in 11th, with the Audi contingent headed by Nico Hulkenberg close behind as teams refine balance and tyre preparation.
Ferrari’s upgraded engine yields immediate performance, with Hamilton 0.115s off P1.
The session tightens the front, with Mercedes setting the reference, Ferrari advancing, and McLaren consistent. Execution in qualifying trim now becomes decisive.
Expectations are framed by Friday’s opening running, but final practice confirms narrower margins and different run plans. Set-up choices, out-lap discipline, and traffic management will shape grid positions.
Attention now turns to qualifying, where tyre warm-up and sector-three execution should prove decisive given the small offsets observed across compounds and fuel windows.
Visual Summary
RUSSELL
1:07.096
1:07.096
?
ANTONELLI
1:07.134
1:07.134
+0.038s
Split by just 0.038s at the top
Mercedes intra-team duel steals the spotlight as rivals chase
1
Russell
2
Antonelli
3
Hamilton
4
Piastri
5
Norris
6
?
?
Verstappen
Gap at the top: 0.038s
Pulse: Sky High
Qualifying up next.
Who blinks first in the duel?
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
