George Russell is the fastest in the third practice.
Sunny. Dry. Air +31°C, track +49…52°C
As on the previous day, it was hot in Spielberg on Saturday. The FIA issued an official warning about the hot weather, putting drivers in the position of choosing between wearing cooling vests or adding a ballast of similar weight to their cars. The drivers were not fond of the vests, but there was a real opportunity to get accustomed to them in real conditions, especially since the summer stages will be hot.
Having lost both practice sessions on Friday due to car issues, Sergio Perez was the first to hit the track on Saturday. His Cadillac teammate Bottas's car remained in the pits as mechanics continued to work on the front brakes, but after 15 minutes, Valtteri and everyone else went out.
Overtaking is difficult in Austria, and much will be decided in qualifying – during the third practice, the drivers actively worked with Soft tires and a small amount of fuel.
The session went smoothly. Norris broke his left mirror while attacking a curb, and Verstappen had radio issues. Albon slowed down at the exit of the last corner, nearly colliding with Lindblad. Arvid had to go off track to avoid contact.
At the end of the session, speeds increased. Sainz went off track at turn nine, while Leclerc, Hadjar, Hamilton, and Perez went off at turn three. Alonso complained about handling issues and returned to the pits.
The best time was set by George Russell, completing a lap in 1:07.096 – four hundredths faster than his teammate. Hamilton was one tenth behind the leader. Qualifying will be interesting!
Third part of free practice
Driver
Team
Time
Difference
Laps
1. G. Russell
Mercedes
1:07.096
-
19
2. K. Antonelli
Mercedes
1:07.134
+0.038
17
3. L. Hamilton
Ferrari
1:07.211
+0.115
22
4. O. Piastri
McLaren
1:07.344
+0.248
17
5. L. Norris
McLaren
1:07.360
+0.264
20
6. M. Verstappen
Red Bull
1:07.369
+0.273
16
7. S. Leclerc
Ferrari
1:07.452
+0.356
24
8. A. Hadjar
Red Bull
1:07.912
+0.816
27
9. L. Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:08.031
+0.935
21
10. A. Lindblad
Racing Bulls
1:08.109
+1.013
24
11. P. Gasly
Alpine
1:08.193
+1.097
16
12. N. Hulkenberg
Audi
1:08.303
+1.207
22
13. G. Bortoleto
Audi
1:08.311
+1.215
22
14. F. Colapinto
Alpine
1:08.394
+1.298
18
15. O. Berman
Haas
1:08.529
+1.433
19
16. E. Ocon
Haas
1:08.707
+1.611
15
17. C. Sainz
Williams
1:08.843
+1.747
27
18. A. Albon
Williams
1:08.992
+1.896
25
19. S. Perez
Cadillac
1:09.532
+2.436
29
20. V. Bottas
Cadillac
1:09.740
+2.644
24
21. F. Alonso
Aston Martin
1:10.421
+3.325
21
22. L. Stroll
Aston Martin
1:10.567
+3.471
19
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