F1 Austrian GP: Kimi Antonelli tops FP2 to complete perfect Friday
Motorsport.com • • sports
Key Points:
- Kimi Antonelli led a dominant Friday at the Austrian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in both practice sessions with a best lap of 1m07.014s in FP2 at the Red Bull Ring.
- Mercedes faced challenges with teammate George Russell finishing sixth, while McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secured second and third places respectively, recovering well from earlier reliability issues.
- The session was marked by extreme heat with track temperatures reaching 49°C, causing several reliability problems including power loss for Alex Albon and overheating for Sergio Perez, which briefly triggered a virtual safety car.
- Max Verstappen ended fourth, over half a second behind Antonelli, followed by Lewis Hamilton in fifth; notable struggles with engine RPM drops affected some Red Bull drivers at Turn 3.
- The top ten was rounded out by Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto, highlighting a competitive field despite challenging conditions.
