Austrian GP FP3 telemetry: Ferrari closes the gap as a thrilling qualifying battle awaits
Expectations are building ahead of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, with the scorching temperatures at the Red Bull Ring expected to play a decisive role in the battle for pole position.
The third and final practice session provided the clearest indication yet that Ferrari has made a major step forward after Friday’s difficult start to the weekend. Following a disappointing opening day, when the SF-26 struggled for straight-line performance and suffered from excessive sliding on all four tyres, Saturday morning painted a very different picture.
The Maranello team’s car showed a substantial improvement in available power, something clearly reflected in the telemetry data. More importantly, Ferrari finally found the grip that had been missing throughout Friday’s running. The overall balance of the SF-26 had not been fundamentally flawed on the opening day, but the car simply lacked the mechanical grip and efficiency needed to translate that balance into lap time.
The overnight changes did not radically alter the car’s aerodynamic philosophy, which may be the most encouraging aspect of Ferrari’s progress. Rather than chasing an extreme setup solution, the engineers appear to have extracted more grip through mechanical adjustments while preserving what was already a solid aerodynamic platform.
Ferrari looks transformed in FP3
The improvement was immediately visible with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Both drivers appeared far more comfortable behind the wheel of a car that was noticeably stronger under traction, more effective at managing the tyres and, above all, much more competitive through the technical sections where Ferrari’s chassis has always promised strong performance.
Lewis Hamilton, in particular, delivered an outstanding final qualifying simulation. Telemetry shows that the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion was ahead of the entire field—including Andrea Kimi Antonelli—until the final two corners of the lap. Hamilton once again demonstrated one of his greatest strengths through Turn 1, a corner where he has excelled throughout his career and where he immediately looked comfortable with the SF-26.
Ferrari’s power unit still appeared to lose some performance approaching Turn 4, where the energy deployment deficit remained noticeable. However, the severe power limitation that had been evident between Turn 8 and the braking zone for Turn 9 on Friday had almost completely disappeared.
While Mercedes still looks difficult to beat over a single lap, Ferrari now appears firmly in contention for at least a second-row starting position.
Mercedes still leads, but Antonelli appears to have more in hand
Mercedes remains the clear favourite heading into qualifying, although George Russell’s fastest lap tells only part of the story. While the British driver topped the timesheets, the stronger Mercedes throughout FP3 arguably remained Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s W17.
The Italian set his benchmark lap nearly thirty minutes before Russell improved, under track conditions that were not fully replicated during the closing stages of the session. Telemetry indicates that Russell only gained the advantage through the final two corners, suggesting Antonelli may still have held a small performance advantage overall.
As so often in Formula 1, everything will depend on putting together the perfect lap when it matters most. If Antonelli can combine his strongest sectors into one clean qualifying run, he still looks like the driver to beat for pole position.
McLaren and Red Bull remain firmly in the fight
Behind Mercedes, however, the battle appears incredibly close. Russell, both Ferraris, both McLarens and Max Verstappen are separated by only tiny margins, setting the stage for what could become one of the closest qualifying sessions of the season.
On a short circuit like the Red Bull Ring, every hundredth of a second matters. Even the smallest mistake can dramatically reshape the order, and the difference between the first and second qualifying attempts could prove decisive.
McLaren continued to look competitive but appeared slightly less convincing than it had on Friday, particularly when managing lateral loads through medium and high-speed corners. The MCL40 remains one of the strongest cars on the grid, but it no longer seemed quite as effortless as it had during the previous day’s running.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, continued to extract impressive performance in specific areas of the circuit. The RB22 showed encouraging engine performance early in the lap and maintained a well-balanced overall package, although it still appeared to run relatively high downforce. Some limitations remained through slower corners and prolonged lateral-load sections, forcing the Dutch driver to adopt a pronounced V-shaped driving style to minimise cornering time.
A fascinating qualifying session awaits
Everything points towards an exceptionally competitive qualifying session. Ferrari’s overnight progress is one of the biggest stories of the weekend, and the Scuderia now looks capable of fighting much closer to the front than Friday initially suggested.
Even so, Mercedes—particularly with Andrea Kimi Antonelli—still appears to have a slight edge. Behind the Silver Arrows, however, the fight promises to be incredibly tight, with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and George Russell all capable of challenging for the leading positions.
Qualifying is likely to come down not only to outright car performance, but also to which driver can produce the cleanest and most complete lap under immense pressure. After the encouraging progress shown in FP3, the battle for pole position at Spielberg is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the weekend.
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