Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured the fastest time in the second qualifying session for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
He also led the Friday practice sessions.
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Championship leader Antonelli topped the Q2 timesheets with a 1:06.763 lap. He finished ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen narrowly advanced to Q3 in tenth place by just 0.04 seconds.
Friday Practice Insights
During the Friday sessions, Mercedes teammate George Russell evaluated the competitive landscape after finishing sixth in practice. He noted a strong initial showing from their immediate grid rivals.
"It was a real surprise to see the first lap of the McLarens in P2 right at the top and their race pace, especially on Lando's side, looked a bit better than us," said George Russell.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri secured second place in both practice and Q2, trailing Antonelli by 0.237 seconds on Friday.
He acknowledged the raw performance capabilities demonstrated by the championship leader.
"We are a step behind Mercedes, or at least Kimi, which we expected.
For Kimi to do that kind of time on his second lap on the soft is quite impressive," said Oscar Piastri.
The competitive outlook for the weekend was echoed by team management.
McLaren Technical Director Applied Engineering Neil Houldey identified the baseline speed of the Mercedes package as the primary target.
