F1 Austria Practice: Russell Concerned By McLaren Pace

George Russell admitted McLaren’s speed worried Mercedes after Friday practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, despite a solid start. Russell ended FP2 in sixth place at Red Bull Ring, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri showed strong pace that left Russell considering them serious rivals.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli headed the combined times, 0.237 seconds ahead of Piastri, with Norris nearly a further tenth behind. Russell finished FP2 six tenths slower than Antonelli, also trailing Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Hamilton has recently overtaken Russell in the standings and now sits 50 points behind Antonelli after seven races.

Russell felt the day swung between promise and pressure for Mercedes at the Austrian Grand Prix. Earlier, Russell was second in FP1 behind Antonelli and believed both Mercedes looked competitive. “FP1 was a very strong session for us both, we looked really good, and then straight out of the blocks in FP2, McLaren looked flying, to be honest,” Russell said. “Obviously, it was a disrupted session on my side, but their race pace, their single lap pace looks pretty decent.”

Russell suggested the opening session had given Mercedes a slightly misleading picture before the Austrian Grand Prix developed. “I think it was more everyone else had a pretty troubled [FP1]session. Every time I saw the TV screens, it was drivers in the garage with problems. Lando only got out at the end. I think Lewis had some problems, Max had some problems. So, I think that probably flattered our pace a bit in FP1, but things were feeling good.” “It was a real surprise just seeing that first lap of the McLarens in P2, just right at the top. And their race pace, especially on Lando’s side, looked a bit better than ours.”

Antonelli’s display at the Austrian Grand Prix followed a frustrating retirement at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, which reduced the championship gap to 41 points. The teenager is now well placed to extend the lead again and could become the 56th driver to reach five or more pole positions. Antonelli can also equal Giuseppe Farina as the Italian driver with the third-highest pole tally.

Antonelli reported a smooth build-up through both practice sessions at the Austrian Grand Prix. “It’s been a clean and productive day for us,” Antonelli added. “From FP1 onwards, Ifelt comfortable in the car, which gave us a good platform to work from as we built through the sessions.”

High temperatures at the Austrian Grand Prix are shaping strategy, with Antonelli especially alert to tyre issues. “The hot conditions will continue to make things quite challenging, particularly in terms of tyre management.” “Keeping the tyres in the right working window without overheating is important, so thats an area we’ll continue to focus on.” “We’ve gathered a lot of useful information, but there’s still work to do, and the picture will likely evolve overnight.” “We’ll analyse everything in detail and focus on making the right improvements ahead of qualifying.”

Russell’s record in Austria remains strong, which keeps Mercedes hopeful despite McLaren’s form. Russell won at Red Bull Ring in 2023 and has taken two of the last three pole positions there, matching his total from the previous 18 races. Before the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Russell had labelled Hamilton a major danger to Mercedes’ 2026 title aims, yet McLaren’s performance has now become the main short-term concern.

The Austrian Grand Prix pecking order after practice suggests a close fight between Antonelli, McLaren, and the chasing group. The headline figures from FP2 underline why Mercedes expects a tight qualifying battle on June 27.

With McLaren threatening, Antonelli leading, and Russell seeking another strong result at the Austrian Grand Prix, the leading teams face key set-up choices before qualifying. Tyre management, track temperatures, and small gains overnight are likely to decide whether Mercedes can respond to McLaren’s challenge.