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SPIELBERG, Austria: Three-time defending world champion Max Verstappen took the lead for Red Bull Racing after overtaking McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday.
The 26-year-old Dutch driver’s best time was 1:05.685, 0.276 ahead of Piastri, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third, team-mate Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’ seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton third. Hamilton, who is about to join Ferrari, and team-mate George Russell used hard tires throughout the race, not using soft tires in the final sprint to get a faster lap time like other drivers in the top ten.
Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen in first practice at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg
Esteban Ocon, who left Alpine at the end of the season, was sixth ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Russell, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and two-time champion Fernando Alonso in a second Aston Martin.
Lando Norris, driving the second McLaren, lost control of his car in the final laps and finished 13th behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and the troubled Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
On a warm day in the Styrian Alps with rain on the horizon, Verstappen was first out at the start, followed by the two Mercedes, both on hard tyres, and quickly racked up an impressive one-two finish.
Perez finished fourth, showing signs he may be returning to form, while Yuki Tsunoda ran off the track at Turn 1 and reported that his steering column felt “strange”, although his request to have it replaced was refused.
Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen sits in his car in the pits before the first practice session at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg
Verstappen’s progress was halted 31 minutes into the race when his Red Bull lost power and came to a halt on the main straight. “Engine failure,” he reported to the team, and with the help of the crew he reversed his car back into the gap between the pit wall and the pit box.
If Verstappen had deliberately reversed, he could have been sent to the stewards’ office for violating the rules. After a five-minute red-flag break, the race resumed and Verstappen immediately joined the fray as if nothing had happened.
A quick restart seemed to work wonders, resolving what was later described as a “sensor problem”. The drivers were back on track at 14:15 for Saturday’s sprint qualifying session.
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