The first day of practice for the Austrian Grand Prix saw McLaren shine, with Lando Norris (1’04”580) and Oscar Piastri (1’04”737) topping the time sheet in the second session, the most representative one on a Friday. Only one other driver managed to get under the 1’05” barrier and that was Max Verstappen, with a best time of 1’04”898.

Worth noting that, in FP1, Alex Dunne made his debut at an F1 event, driving Norris’ McLaren. It was the first time an Irishman had taken part in a Formula 1 session since Ralf Firman drove at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2003, his one and only season with Jordan Grand Prix.

THE DAY ON TRACK:
All three compounds came into play over the 120 minutes of track time. 17 of the 20 cars in action used a set of Hards, the only ones not to try the C3 were Max Verstappen and the Haas pair of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman.

Tyre usage was fairly evenly distributed: 494 laps (38%) on the Medium, 463 (35.62%) on the Soft and 343 (26.38%) on the Hard.

Simone Berra: Chief Engineer:
“IThe first day has pretty much confirmed our earlier expectations. On a track that was already quite well rubbered-in, despite the rain that fell yesterday afternoon and evening, performance evolution was limited over the course of the day. Compared to the same day last year, one has to keep in mind that in 2024, this was a Sprint weekend, while this year the teams have the full three hours of free practice before parc fermé rules come into effect. Furthermore, today’s temperatures were five degrees lower, even if they are due to rise for the rest of the weekend, especially on Sunday. That’s why this afternoon’s fastest times are in line with the 2024 pole position time and already close to our simulations (1’04”).

“Today, the delta between compounds also matched our expectations, with around two tenths between the Hard and Medium - although this is an extrapolated figure as we did not get a direct comparison – and half a second between the Medium and Soft. The same goes for tyre degradation, given the expected temperatures on race day.

“It was interesting to see all three compounds in play, even if we believe the Hard and Medium will prove the most popular choices for the race. Today, the Soft worked well, even over long runs and drivers were able to set good times on a second and even a third flying lap, but we have to bear in mind it should be much hotter on Sunday."

FORMULA 2
Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli secured his second pole of the season. The Italian set a time of 1’15”229, beating Victor Martins (ART Grand Prix) by just 0”014. Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport) rounded off the qualifying “podium” with the top three separated by just 24 thousandths of a second.

The compounds chosen for the Spielberg weekend are once again the softest two in the range. The surface of the Austrian track is very abrasive due to its age, but that does not affect tyre wear. In fact, grip is plentiful as the track is in regular use and is therefore well rubbered-in. All drivers will use the red-banded tyre for the Sprint, but in Sunday’s race, two strategies could come into play. On paper, the quickest is to run Soft then Supersoft, but last year, 13 drivers started on the Supersoft enjoying not only better grip off the line, but also benefiting from a free pit stop when the Safety Car came out just as the regulation tyre change window opened. Therefore, it’s not inconceivable that some might go for the same gamble this year.

FORMULA 3
Nikola Tsolov (Campos Racing) is the poleman in Spielberg. The Bulgarian’s best lap was a 1’20”743, to qualify ahead of the American Brad Benavides (AIX Racing, 1’20”919) and the Dane Noah Stromstedt (Trident, 1’20”921).

The compound available for Spielberg is the Soft, as has been the case in previous years. Thermal degradation is the main challenge for tyres at the Red Bull Ring, especially on the rear axle. In last year’s Feature Race, graining also appeared between laps 8 and 12, which led to increased wear in the closing stages of the race. Drivers who did the best job of managing this phenomenon thus gained an advantage over their competitors. The warm-up phase is crucial, especially in high temperatures, because if drivers push too hard in the early stages they may find themselves struggling in the final few laps.