Austria FP1 telemetry: Mercedes starts with an aggressive programme, Ferrari focused on internal simulations
The opening practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring did not provide a definitive picture of the competitive order. However, it did offer valuable insight into the different programmes adopted by the teams, revealing several interesting trends ahead of the rest of the weekend.
Mercedes pushes early with a complete race weekend programme
Mercedes immediately stood out by following a strategy unlike any of its main rivals. Rather than easing into the session with cautious installation laps and gradual preparation, the Brackley team began pushing almost immediately—within the normal limits of an FP1 session.
By the halfway point, Mercedes had already completed what appeared to be a qualifying simulation before switching to an extensive race pace programme. The approach clearly reflected the team’s determination to fully understand tyre behaviour ahead of what is expected to be a demanding race. At the Red Bull Ring, where overtaking opportunities reduce the importance of grid position compared to many other circuits, long-run performance could prove decisive.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell also covered the highest mileage among the leading teams, each completing almost 130 kilometres during the session. That underlined Mercedes’ commitment to collecting as much data as possible. The impression is that the championship-leading car is not only extremely quick but also arrives in Austria with a well-developed baseline setup, potentially leaving less room for major setup changes.
The telemetry also highlighted some interesting differences between the two Mercedes drivers. Andrea Kimi Antonelli appeared stronger than George Russell through the first half of the lap, where longitudinal loads dominate. However, he struggled slightly in the more demanding high-speed corners of the second sector, where lateral loads increase and a tendency towards oversteer affected his performance.
Antonelli also made a visible mistake on the exit of the final corner, something clearly reflected in the telemetry. That section will be particularly important throughout qualifying and the race because of the strict track limits. Despite that error, the Italian still finished the session fastest, ahead of his teammate, while also displaying greater consistency during the race simulation to give Mercedes an excellent starting point for the weekend.
McLaren shines in high-speed corners while Verstappen follows his own approach
Behind the Mercedes pair came Oscar Piastri, whose McLaren looked less convincing under longitudinal loads but exceptionally strong through the second half of the lap, where high lateral forces dominate.
Piastri recorded the fastest overall third sector, with telemetry showing particularly impressive performance through Turns 6 and 7, as well as at the entry to Turn 10. The McLaren also looked competitive on higher fuel loads, although its race simulation consisted of only three laps, making any meaningful comparison difficult.
Max Verstappen also remained close to the front despite Red Bull introducing a significant package of upgrades. Considering the initial difficulties in leaving the garage and finding a satisfactory setup balance, the Dutchman’s performance looked highly encouraging.
As has often been the case this season, Verstappen’s telemetry traces differed noticeably from everyone else’s. He carried relatively low speed on the first two long straights before reaching much higher speeds in shorter acceleration zones, such as between Turns 6 and 7. Similarly, he posted one of the slowest readings through Turn 9 before immediately setting the fastest speed through Turn 10.
Once again, Verstappen and Red Bull followed an unconventional pattern in the data, but the final lap time was highly competitive and suggests they will be serious contenders as the Austrian Grand Prix weekend progresses.
Ferrari focuses on testing: high fuel, low power and no push for lap time
Ferrari, meanwhile, kept its cards firmly hidden throughout the session. The speed trap figures recorded by both Lewis Hamilton and Dino Beganovic clearly indicated that the SF-26 was not running at full power, while the car’s behaviour through high-speed corners suggested it was carrying a significant fuel load.
The programme followed by Lewis Hamilton and Dino Beganovic was clearly centred on data collection and validation rather than chasing performance. At no point did Ferrari appear interested in setting representative lap times, meaning it will likely take at least the second practice session before a realistic assessment of the SF-26’s pace—particularly relative to Mercedes—can be made.
Ferrari was far from the only team still working through its setup programme. Most of the grid appears to have considerable room for improvement, and FP2 is expected to feature extensive race pace simulations as teams prepare for what is forecast to be an extremely hot race on Sunday.
Only then should a much clearer picture emerge of the true competitive order at the Red Bull Ring.
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