Second Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Austrian F1 Grand Prix

Event: Austrian F1 GP
Track: Red Bull Ring

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 26: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL40 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Ring on June 26, 2026 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Steven Tee/LAT Images)

Weather: dry 32°C / 89°F & Sunny
Tarmac: dry  46°C / 114°F
Humidity : 31.0%
Wind : 6.8 km/h South
Pressure: 942 mbar

Antonelli Sets Friday Benchmark In Austria

Kimi Antonelli turned Mercedes’ strong start at the Red Bull Ring into a proper Friday warning shot, topping second practice for the Austrian grand prix after already leading the way in FP1.

The Italian had edged George Russell by just 0.040s in the opening session, but FP2 was rather less polite. Antonelli’s 1m07.014s put him 0.237s clear of Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris third as McLaren kept itself firmly in the fight. Russell, meanwhile, slipped to sixth after a less convincing second hour.

Antonelli Converts Promise Into Pace

FP1 suggested Mercedes had arrived in Spielberg with a car immediately in the window. FP2 made it look rather more serious.

Antonelli was quick on the medium tyre, sharp once the C5 softs appeared, and particularly confident through the final part of the lap. Around the Red Bull Ring, where the stopwatch punishes even the smallest hesitation, two tenths is a useful chunk of daylight.

It was also the ideal response after his Barcelona-Catalunya DNF. Antonelli arrived in Austria still leading the championship, 41 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 50 clear of Russell, but there was no hint of caution or hangover. He looked settled, fast and annoyingly hard to catch.

For Mercedes, that is close to the perfect Friday. For everyone else, it is the sort of form that tends to make engineering debriefs drag on a little longer.

Russell Loses Ground After FP1 Promise

Russell had been right with Antonelli in first practice, completing a Mercedes one-two and giving the impression that an intra-team scrap might define the weekend. By the end of FP2, that picture had changed.

The Briton was delayed early in the session while Mercedes continued work on his car, and his soft-tyre run never quite came together. Sixth place, 0.623s behind Antonelli, was not the follow-up he needed after such a close FP1.

With Silverstone next on the calendar, Russell will want momentum before his home race. On Friday’s evidence, however, the sharper edge sits across the garage.

McLaren Keep Mercedes Honest

McLaren’s Friday was not flawless, but it was effective. Piastri backed up his strong FP1 showing with second place in FP2, again looking like the most credible immediate threat to Mercedes.

Norris also salvaged a useful afternoon after a hydraulic leak cost him almost all of FP1. Third place in FP2, just under a tenth behind Piastri, was a decent recovery, even if he still had moments of messiness on track.

The team had brought an experimental rear wing to Austria, but decided not to race ahead with it after concluding that more preparation work was needed back at Woking. That may limit the upgrade intrigue for now, but not McLaren’s competitiveness. The Red Bull Ring has suited the papaya cars in recent seasons, and they look close enough to be awkward again.

Red Bull Still Fighting The RB22

Red Bull did at least get the mileage it lacked earlier in the day. Max Verstappen completed 29 laps, while Isack Hadjar managed 28, a much healthier return after a disrupted FP1.

The problem is that quantity did not bring much comfort. Verstappen had an early seat issue, while both Red Bull drivers complained about the car’s behaviour. Team principal Laurent Mekies admitted the squad was wrestling with driveability into and out of Turn 3, which is not exactly a minor concern at this circuit.

Verstappen eventually climbed to fourth, but he remained more than half a second off Antonelli. That leaves him in the mix for the front rows, but pole looks ambitious unless Red Bull finds a meaningful step overnight.

Ferrari Yet To Show Its Hand

came into the Austrian weekend expected to be Mercedes’ nearest threat, but Friday did little to confirm that theory.

Hamilton ended FP2 fifth, reported too much understeer and had multiple lock-ups. Charles Leclerc, who sat out FP1, finished eighth as Ferrari’s programme remained difficult to read.

There may still be more to come, especially if the Scuderia was running a different plan or keeping performance in reserve. But on the visible evidence, Ferrari did not look as comfortable as Mercedes or as immediately threatening as McLaren.

Still, once Antonelli is removed from the equation, the order tightens quickly. Piastri in second and Leclerc in eighth were covered by roughly six tenths, so the battle behind the Mercedes teenager remains very much alive.

Cadillac’s Friday Comes Apart

Cadillac’s second session was the ugliest of the afternoon.

Sergio Perez stopped on track early in FP2 after reporting a repeat of his earlier issue, bringing out the virtual safety car. Valtteri Bottas then limped back to the pits with sparks, smoke and eventually flames underneath the car, after what appeared to be a suspension-related ride-height problem.

For a team needing clean mileage, especially at a short lap where traffic and rhythm matter, it was a costly hour. Both cars missed valuable running, and the garage faces a busy evening.

Tyres Add Another Layer

The conditions added their own complication. Pirelli has brought the C3, C4 and C5 compounds, with track temperatures still around 48°C during FP2 and hotter weather expected across the weekend.

That makes degradation one of the obvious race variables. Hamilton ran deep into a medium-tyre stint, while others gathered data on the hard and soft compounds. The final strategy could still swing between one, two or even three stops, depending on how badly the tyres suffer in Sunday’s heat.

For qualifying, the soft should offer enough for two push laps in Q1 if required. By Q3, though, it will almost certainly be one shot. No banker, no excuses, no room for the sort of small mistake this track loves to punish.

Antonelli has set the benchmark. Now the rest of the field has one night to stop Friday becoming the shape of his weekend.

FP2 Times Table 2026 Austrian GP

The quickest sector times driven during this FP2 were:

1. 16.627 sec. by Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17.
2. 29.995 sec. by Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL40.
3. 20.307 sec. by Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17

Last year the quickest lap time in FP2 was a 1:04.580 min set by Norris with the McLaren MCL39.

Check out our 2026 Austrian F1 Grand Prix preview.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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