Antonelli sets the pace in Austria
Kimi Antonelli concluded Friday’s second practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix as the fastest driver, outpacing McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Antonelli, who currently leads the world championship standings, demonstrated strong performance at the Spielberg circuit.
The second practice session commenced at 17:00 local time, with slightly cooler temperatures anticipated. Several drivers, including Ferrari‘s Charles Leclerc, returned to their seats after making way for rookies in the first practice session. Leclerc’s team utilized the opportunity to optimize their latest power unit upgrade.
Early in the session, McLaren‘s Norris initially set the pace on medium compound tires, recording a time of 1m 08.000s. However, Antonelli soon took the lead, becoming the first driver to achieve a lap time in the 1m 07s range, improving upon his fastest time from the first practice.
Despite a strong showing from McLaren, with Piastri briefly holding the fastest lap, Antonelli ultimately secured the top spot. He further reduced his time to 1m 07.014s, a benchmark that remained unmatched by the end of Friday’s running. Piastri finished approximately two-tenths behind, while Norris secured third place, indicating a positive second practice for McLaren at the Red Bull Ring.
Challenges and upgrades for other teams
The practice sessions were not without incident for several teams. Red Bull‘s Sergio Perez faced persistent issues, stopping early in both sessions due to electronics problems. His team had changed the ECU (Engine Control Unit) between sessions, but he still came to a halt at Turn 6 during FP2, leading to a Virtual Safety Car.
Cadillac also experienced a difficult day. Valtteri Bottas reported smoke in his cockpit and had to return to the pits, where a fire on the floor of his car was quickly extinguished. Neither Bottas nor Perez were able to rejoin the track after their car troubles, leaving Cadillac at the bottom of the leaderboard with significant work ahead before the final practice session.
Red Bull, which introduced a major upgrade package for their car this weekend, saw Max Verstappen finish fourth. Both Verstappen and his teammate Isack Hadjar reported a lack of grip. Hadjar noted that the car felt like the usual, indicating that further adjustments were needed to improve performance.
Ferrari, fresh from a victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix and with a new engine upgrade, had a low-key day. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, with teammate Charles Leclerc in eighth. Despite the new engine, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur downplayed expectations, stating that a significant step forward was not anticipated given the recent introduction of the upgrade under the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) program.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished sixth and fifth respectively. Russell, who spoke to the media on Friday, expressed surprise at McLaren‘s pace, particularly Norris‘s race pace, which appeared to be better than Mercedes‘ on long runs. Russell also noted that Antonelli‘s performance on his second lap with soft tires was impressive.
Other drivers in the top ten included Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi. Pierre Gasly narrowly missed the top ten, finishing eleventh. The day provided teams with ample data to analyze before the final practice session, which is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 local time, followed by Qualifying at 15:00.
Looking ahead to qualifying
The mixed results from Friday’s practice sessions suggest a competitive weekend ahead. While Antonelli demonstrated strong single-lap pace, McLaren also showed promise in their long-run performance, indicating they could be strong contenders in the race.
Teams will be reviewing their data extensively overnight to address issues and fine-tune their setups. The performance of the upgraded cars, particularly from Red Bull and Ferrari, will be closely watched in the upcoming sessions.
The challenges faced by Cadillac and the grip issues reported by Red Bull highlight the ongoing adjustments required to optimize performance at the Spielberg circuit. The final practice session will be crucial for teams to make their last preparations before qualifying determines the starting grid for the Austrian Grand Prix.
The competition is expected to intensify as drivers aim to secure favorable grid positions for Sunday’s race, with qualifying set to begin at 15:00 local time on Saturday.
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Source: formula1.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.