Russell Beats Antonelli in Austrian GP FP3 on Used Tyres

George Russell had spent most of Austrian GP weekend looking like the slower half of a very fast Mercedes, but he fixed that in the final minutes of FP3. A late lap on used tyres, 38 milliseconds quicker than anything Kimi Antonelli could manage, handed him the session and gave the pre-qualifying narrative a sharp twist.

How Russell Did It

It was not pretty for most of the hour. Russell complained about braking instability, had his front suspension reworked mid-session, and spent the majority of FP3 trailing his young Italian teammate. Antonelli set the benchmark at a 1m07.134s just past the halfway point and looked entirely unbothered. He did what he has done all weekend: exit the pits, post a flying lap, come straight back in. The model of confidence.

Then, on his final run, Russell adopted Antonelli’s own pit-lane cooldown trick, found a clean lap and crossed the line at 1m07.096s. Antonelli went back out to respond, thought better of it, and headed straight to the garage. Session over. As Russell knows well, sometimes the smartest move is knowing when you are beaten. Antonelli had dominated both Friday sessions, so this was at least something.

Hamilton and Ferrari Show Up

Lewis Hamilton slotted in third, just 0.115s off the pace on a noticeably stronger day for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc was seventh and looked uncomfortable all session, including snapping off a mirror on the kerbs. Ferrari clearly still has work to do, but Hamilton’s pace is encouraging. With Mercedes’ internal politics already under a microscope this weekend, Hamilton will be quietly pleased to be the one making Ferrari’s day.

Verstappen Closes In, But Not Enough

Max Verstappen ended up sixth in the Red Bull, 0.273s off Antonelli. That gap is smaller than Friday’s deficit, and is precisely the kind of margin Red Bull’s seven-part upgrade package was targeting. Whether it is actually enough to fight for pole is a different question entirely. His session was also littered with radio interference, which required a balaclava change. Red Bull’s problems never come one at a time.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris split the difference in fourth and fifth, both within three tenths of the top. Qualifying promises to be tight. Mercedes are still the team to beat, but the gap is closing, and Russell versus Antonelli adds an extra layer of intrigue.

Full FP3 Results: Austrian Grand Prix 2026