Ferrari’s Austrian Grand Prix weekend began with another reminder of how much work the team still faced, as Charles Leclerc said after Friday practice that the team was likely to struggle at the Red Bull Ring. Leclerc said Ferrari’s running exposed weaknesses in both straight-line speed and cornering, and he called for a lot of work overnight before qualifying. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in both practice sessions, while Leclerc was eighth in FP2 after missing FP1 so rookie Dino Beganovic could drive the SF-26.

Leclerc said the problems were broader than his absence from first practice and said he was surprised by Ferrari’s lack of cornering pace, since that had usually been one of the team’s strengths. He said there was no obvious fix for the straight-line deficit, and both he and Hamilton were unhappy with the car. Team principal Fred Vasseur also described the day as difficult, saying Austria’s hot, high-altitude conditions were unfavourable and that Ferrari’s new engine was only a decent step forward rather than a major breakthrough.

Ferrari had arrived in Spielberg with a fresh power unit introduced through the ADUO performance-balancing mechanism, part of an upgrade push aimed at improving its chances of returning to the podium. Leclerc said the development pointed the team in the right direction, but he did not consider Ferrari the favourite for the weekend and said Mercedes still had the edge on the circuit’s long straights. He said the update was progress rather than a complete fix, and while he expected Ferrari to be competitive in the race, he thought the team might be more vulnerable in qualifying.

Red Bull’s first major test of its Austria upgrade produced a troubled opening day at the home grand prix, with both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar running into engine-related and driveability problems around Turn 3 at the Red Bull Ring. The team had introduced an aggressive upgrade package, including floor and rear-suspension changes, but the issues limited Friday running and left Red Bull without a clear read on the new parts.

Verstappen finished fourth in both practice sessions, but he was more than half a second off Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in second practice and repeatedly reported a loss of revs at the Turn 3 hairpin. His car also hit anti-stall twice in first practice and had to return to the garage. Hadjar lost time after a late engine change delayed his FP1 start, completed only 11 laps and finished 12th in the first session before improving to seventh in FP2. Both drivers said the car still lacked the right balance, especially under braking and in traction-sensitive corners like Turn 3.

Technical director Pierre Wache and team boss Laurent Mekies said Red Bull needed overnight work before FP3 and qualifying. Wache said the car’s performance was inconsistent with the new package, though long-run pace looked promising. Mekies said the team was struggling with the car’s behavior entering and exiting Turn 3. Hadjar said the upgraded car still felt like the usual Red Bull and that the team had work to do to catch up, while also needing more consistent pace across sessions rather than relying on qualifying speed.

Red Bull’s F1 team is facing fresh staff-turnover speculation after chief engineer Paul Monaghan was linked with a possible move to Cadillac, with Aston Martin mentioned as a less likely option. The reported switch has not been confirmed, Monaghan has not set an exit date, and sources said any move would probably involve gardening leave that would delay a start until next season. Monaghan, who is under contract through the end of 2028, is also understood to have told Red Bull he wants to stay, though reports suggest he may be seeking a more senior role elsewhere. He is expected at the Austrian Grand Prix, while Red Bull and Cadillac have declined to comment.

Laurent Mekies confirmed Monaghan was working at the track on Friday and said Red Bull’s focus is on retaining and attracting talent, without discussing the rumours in detail. He said the team has enough technical depth in-house and rejected the idea that recent departures are materially weakening it. Monaghan’s potential exit would add to a wider run of senior departures in recent years, including Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Will Courtenay and Rob Marshall, while Gianpiero Lambiase is also expected to move to McLaren in 2028. The staff changes have renewed speculation about Max Verstappen’s future, with sources noting he could have a performance-related exit clause after 2026, but Mekies said the driver’s main concern is having a competitive car and that improving performance is the key to keeping him long term.

Racing Bulls has denied reports that it has already committed Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov to a Formula 1 seat for 2027, even as speculation over Liam Lawson’s future with the team has intensified. Team principal Alan Permane said the team has not discussed a 2027 lineup change and is satisfied with the current driver pairing, while a Red Bull insider described the chatter as part of Formula 1’s traditional silly season.

Lawson, who was demoted from Red Bull after only two races in 2025, said ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix that it was too early to talk about 2027 and that he was focused on the present. He said he felt he was in a strong position, with his performances at Racing Bulls improving his case. Lawson is 10th in the drivers’ standings, has scored points in five of the first seven rounds this season and has collected 28 of Racing Bulls’ 41 points in 2026.

The rumors have centered on Tsolov, a 19-year-old Red Bull junior who is in his rookie Formula 2 season and second in the standings with three wins, including feature-race victories in Melbourne and Monaco. Permane said Tsolov does not yet have the super license required for Formula 1, which is why Ayumu Iwasa was used in FP1 sessions instead. Racing Bulls also said no formal agreement exists for 2027, and Permane said both current drivers are meeting the team’s expectations.

Kimi Antonelli set the pace in both Friday practice sessions for the Austrian Grand Prix, giving Mercedes the early edge at the Red Bull Ring. He led FP1 by 0.040 seconds from teammate George Russell, and he stayed on top in FP2 as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris pushed him late. Mercedes opened the weekend with a one-two in first practice, while Antonelli’s FP2 benchmark left McLaren and Red Bull chasing the reference time.

The opening session was heavily affected by reliability problems. Lando Norris lost most of FP1 after a hydraulics leak, Max Verstappen was hit by an anti-stall problem and later software issues, and Red Bull also had a disrupted day with running delays for Isack Hadjar. The session ended under a red flag after Sergio Perez stopped on track, while Lewis Hamilton placed fifth for Ferrari and Dino Beganovic was ninth in Charles Leclerc’s car. Ferrari also used the weekend to assess its new engine and earlier aerodynamic changes.

Antonelli carried that form into FP2 with a best lap of 1:07.209, finishing 0.237 seconds clear of Piastri and 0.325 ahead of Norris. Verstappen was fourth and Hamilton fifth, with Russell sixth after a difficult lap. The session ran in 48C track temperatures and was interrupted by a virtual safety car after Perez stopped at Turn 6, while Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac smoked and returned to the pits with suspected suspension damage. McLaren also abandoned a rear-wing test during practice and said it would continue the development at a later race.

McLaren has held preliminary talks with Max Verstappen about a possible move from Red Bull, according to reports that say the team is positioning itself in case he becomes available. The most discussed scenario would pair Verstappen with Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri potentially moving to Red Bull in return. No deal has been agreed, and the talks remain early.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull through 2028, but reports say his deal may include a release clause tied to his championship position at the summer break. Heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, different reports placed him seventh in the standings, 60 points behind second place and 101 behind leader Kimi Antonelli. Red Bull’s 2026 performance decline has fueled the speculation, and the team is preparing a major weight-saving upgrade for the Austrian race. One Italian report also said Red Bull made a notable adjustment to Verstappen’s contract and offered reassurances about its direction.

McLaren’s interest has grown as trusted Red Bull figures have departed, including Verstappen’s longtime race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who is on gardening leave after leaving Red Bull in April and is expected to join McLaren by 2028 at the latest. Norris is expected to stay at McLaren, but Piastri could be vulnerable despite his contract through 2028, with one report citing a strained relationship between Piastri and chief executive Zak Brown. Verstappen has also been linked with Mercedes, though George Russell said his seat is secure and Mercedes is expected to keep Russell and Kimi Antonelli in its current lineup.

Mercedes was forced to revise a controversial serrated-edge diffuser after rival Formula 1 teams questioned whether the upgrade was legal, with Ferrari asking the FIA for clarification and other teams raising similar concerns. The disputed design, introduced on Mercedes’ Montreal and Canadian Grand Prix upgrade package, used spike-like profiles and diffuser extensions to increase aerodynamic effect. The FIA reviewed the part after the Barcelona Grand Prix and issued guidance that took effect at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

Mercedes removed the serrated profiles from its W17 at the Red Bull Ring, and images from Austria showed the spike-like elements gone, even though some diffuser extensions remained. Mercedes said the changes were minor and the performance gain from the original concept was small. Racing Bulls was also told to alter its diffuser extensions, while Ferrari’s SF-26 and a similar Haas design were described as still appearing to comply with the rules.

The issue remained unresolved, with the FIA said to be considering whether to ban the Mercedes design, allow more time for changes or take no action. Mercedes was reportedly trying to delay any ban until after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and Ferrari framed its intervention as a request for clarification rather than a cheating allegation. The controversy was seen as a political victory for Ferrari, even as Mercedes remained ahead in both championships.

Lewis Hamilton said a heavy crash during Ferrari’s private pre-season testing in Barcelona in January 2025 caused a neck injury that affected the opening months of his first season with the team. Hamilton said the impact knocked a disc into a nerve, left him in pain for about nine weeks and limited what he could do during that period. He said he managed the injury with daily physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment, along with painkillers and an injection, while he continued racing.

Hamilton linked the physical setback to what he described as the worst season of his 19-year Formula 1 career. He finished sixth in the 2025 championship, 86 points behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, and went through the year without a podium for the first time in his Formula 1 career. He later took his first Ferrari victory in Barcelona on his 31st attempt, and said that win was helped by improvements to the car and the team environment.

Speaking after that breakthrough, Hamilton said he was not focused on the championship title. Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, he said he wanted to concentrate on trying to win the weekend and take each race one at a time.

Six rookie drivers will take part in first practice at the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring as teams use the FIA rule that requires full-time drivers to give up two practice sessions per season to drivers with no more than two Grand Prix starts. Ferrari, Racing Bulls, Haas, Williams, Audi and Aston Martin are all handing their cars to juniors in Friday’s opening session.

Ferrari confirmed that Formula 2 driver Dino Beganovic will drive Charles Leclerc’s car in FP1, marking his fourth Formula 1 practice appearance and his latest run after outings in Bahrain and Austria in 2025 and in Barcelona earlier this season for Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc will miss the session and will have one less hour of track time than Hamilton over the weekend. Ferrari said the move helps it meet Formula 1’s rookie running requirements.

Williams will also run Luke Browning in Carlos Sainz’s car, after his planned FP1 appearance in Barcelona ended early because of an electrical problem. His Austrian outing was part of a previously announced plan to run in both Barcelona and Austria. Racing Bulls will field Ayumu Iwasa in Liam Lawson’s seat, Haas will give Ryo Hirakawa his first FP1 run of 2026 in Esteban Ocon’s VF-26, Audi will put Paul Aron in Gabriel Bortoleto’s car for his seventh FP1 appearance, and Aston Martin will run Jak Crawford in Lance Stroll’s car for his fourth practice session.