Antonelli tops disrupted FP1 as mechanical issues plague Norris and Verstappen

The McLaren pair battled for victory at last season's Austrian Grand Prix | Credit: Formula One

Kimi Antonelli led a Mercedes one-two in a disrupted opening practice session, edging teammate George Russell by just 0.001 seconds as reliability concerns overshadowed the opening hour of running.

Mechanical issues struck several frontrunners throughout the session, with both McLaren and Red Bull losing significant track time after separate hydraulic problems sidelined Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Despite the interruptions, Antonelli produced a late benchmark of 1:07.796 to finish fastest, while Oscar Piastri recovered from his own early challenges to complete the top three.

As teams began their preparations for the weekend, four reserve drivers were handed valuable Formula One mileage as part of the FIA's mandatory rookie running programme. Ryo Hirakawa replaced Esteban Ocon at Haas, Paul Aron took over duties at Audi, Jack Crawford stepped into Lance Stroll's Aston Martin, while Ayumu Iwasa drove Liam Lawson's Racing Bull.

Lewis Hamilton was the first driver to venture onto the circuit as the green light appeared at the end of the pit lane, while Piastri entered the weekend with a revised power unit following engine changes completed ahead of the session.

However, attention quickly shifted to the McLaren garage.

Norris was unable to join the early running after a suspected hydraulic issue was discovered on his MCL40. Mechanics spent much of the opening hour investigating the problem, leaving the Briton stranded in the garage while the majority of the field completed multiple runs. The issue significantly compromised McLaren's programme, with Norris eventually missing over three-quarters of the session before the team finally completed repairs.

Red Bull encountered similar frustrations almost immediately. Verstappen repeatedly experienced anti-stall problems when attempting to leave the garage, with the RB22 stuttering each time he released the clutch before eventually stopping in the pit lane altogether. The reigning team eventually diagnosed a hydraulic issue, forcing the Dutchman back into the garage for extensive repairs before he could return to the circuit.

While rivals battled reliability concerns, Mercedes quietly established themselves as the benchmark.

Russell initially set the pace with a 1:10.407 before Antonelli consistently found improvements throughout the session. The Italian rookie eventually produced a 1:07.796, becoming the first driver to break into the 1:07s during FP1. Russell responded with a personal best of his own but ultimately fell just 0.001 seconds short of reclaiming top spot, completing an encouraging one-two for the team.

Behind the Mercedes duo, Williams continued its recent run of promising practice pace. Alex Albon regularly featured inside the top five despite the team monitoring an issue with mirrors moving under the influence of the circuit's active aerodynamic loads, while the Thai driver remained competitive throughout both the medium and soft tyre runs.

Audi also enjoyed a productive opening session, with Nico Hülkenberg consistently featuring near the sharp end of the order. The German remained comfortably inside the top group for much of FP1, while Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad also impressed with another composed performance, regularly matching the established midfield runners.

The session was briefly interrupted by an incident in the Haas garage when Hirakawa struck one of his mechanics while returning to the pit box. Fortunately, the crew member escaped with only a bruised arm and was quickly back on his feet, allowing the team to continue its programme without further interruption.

Once Red Bull resolved Verstappen's hydraulic issue, the four-time World Champion wasted little time demonstrating the RB22's pace. His first representative flying lap immediately elevated him to third on the timesheets, just under six-tenths behind Antonelli, although Verstappen continued to report severe instability under braking and described the car as shaking heavily into several corners.

McLaren's session proved to be one of contrasting fortunes.

While Norris remained confined to the garage for much of FP1, Piastri completed a productive programme despite dealing with braking concerns. Following an early setup adjustment, the Australian immediately climbed to fourth on his first representative lap, becoming the only driver to set his initial competitive time on the soft compound. He later improved again to move into third, finishing just 0.110 seconds behind the Mercedes pair.

Despite the encouraging pace, Piastri repeatedly informed his engineer that the brake pedal felt unusually long and inconsistent, limiting his confidence under heavy braking zones throughout the session. Even so, the Australian continued to deliver competitive lap times and looked comfortably among the leading group.

Hamilton's opening session was less straightforward. The Ferrari driver struggled to string together a clean lap during the opening half of FP1 before gradually finding improvements as the circuit evolved, eventually climbing into the top three before settling slightly further down the order.

Elsewhere, Isack Hadjar also endured a frustrating morning after suffering reliability concerns of his own, delaying his running before he eventually returned to complete several representative laps.

After spending almost the entire session in the garage, Norris finally rejoined the action with just 14 minutes remaining. Despite having minimal preparation, the Briton immediately demonstrated competitive pace, climbing to seventh on his first timed lap before abandoning a subsequent flying lap after showing further signs of improvement through the opening sectors. Considering the limited running available, the late effort provided McLaren with at least some valuable data heading into Friday afternoon.

The session came to a premature conclusion in dramatic fashion when Sergio Pérez slowed on circuit after appearing to lose ignition. Smoke soon emerged from the car as it ground to a halt, initially prompting yellow flags before race control upgraded the incident to a red flag with just eight seconds remaining. The stoppage denied several drivers one final flying lap, bringing an eventful opening practice session to an abrupt end.

Antonelli therefore finished fastest ahead of Russell, securing a Mercedes one-two after a consistently competitive morning. Piastri completed the top three despite his persistent brake concerns, with Verstappen recovering from his early hydraulic issues to finish fourth. Behind them, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Albon, Lindblad and Colapinto all produced encouraging performances as teams now turn their attention towards FP2, where longer race simulations and further setup work will provide a clearer indication of the competitive order for the remainder of the weekend.