Antonelli leads Russell in Austrian first practice

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap time during the first practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, completing the circuit in 1 minute 09.047 seconds. His teammate, George Russell, secured the second position, trailing Antonelli by 0.306 seconds. This Mercedes one-two finish marks Antonelli's strong performance in his second F1 practice outing. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing finished third, 0.400 seconds behind Antonelli's benchmark. Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari was fourth, 0.470 seconds off the pace, followed by Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull car, who was 0.519 seconds slower. Oscar Piastri of McLaren rounded out the top six, 0.561 seconds behind the leader. The session saw a brief red flag period due to a track limits violation by Nico Hulkenberg, whose fastest lap was deleted. Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin experienced a technical issue, limiting his track time to only 10 laps. The session was otherwise uneventful, with most drivers completing their planned programs.