Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli led both free practice sessions at the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The championship leader also posted the strongest long-run pace, ahead of teammate George Russell.
Antonelli finished 0.06 seconds per lap ahead of Russell in adjusted long runs. McLaren placed second in long-run pace but trailed by 0.21 seconds per lap.
Ferrari struggled after introducing a new power unit upgrade. Lewis Hamilton ended FP2 0.597 seconds off the pace, with a long-run deficit of 0.51 seconds per lap. Charles Leclerc was 0.841 seconds behind in qualifying simulations and 0.97 seconds per lap slower in long runs.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was 0.550 seconds off in qualifying simulation and 0.27 seconds per lap behind in long runs. Team principal Fred Vasseur noted Ferrari was "far away" from repeating its Barcelona form, citing grip issues in high temperatures.
Pirelli head Dario Marrafuschi said tyre degradation averaged 0.164 seconds per lap, making a three-stop race possible. He expects at least two stops under the current conditions.
