F1: McLaren surges in Austria, but Verstappen promises not to make it easy for Norris and Piastri

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The Friday of free practice sessions was Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix It was very positive for the McLaren . The papaya team, the big favorite for the weekend, started strong, not only leading the second free practice session but putting one of its drivers in Formula 2 na vaga de Lando Norris but earlier and still managing a double top-5. A big show of strength.

In the second session, which tends to be the most representative, Norris led a British one-two, with Oscar Piastri 0.1s behind. Max Verstappen was the closest, also confirming the trend expected for the Red Bull Ring round.

More about Formula 1

• Bortoleto praises 'excellent work' of Sauber and hopes to start among the top 10 in Austria
• Toto Wolff admits Mercedes' interest in Max Verstappen for the 2026 season

Mercedes put George Russell in pole earlier, but dropped performance in the second session. The Englishman ended up sixth, 0.6s behind Norris, even behind Charles Leclerc, who complained a lot about Ferrari once again.

Surprise of the day, Lance Stroll finished fourth in the second free practice session, but he wasn't the only standout from "F1 B": Gabriel Bortoleto performed much stronger than Nico Hülkenberg and placed himself in the top-8 in both sessions.

McLaren places F-2 driver in top-5 of first session

It's hard to find a more impressive benchmark than Alexander Dunne, the Formula 2 driver in fourth position in the first session. Of course, free practice is just free practice, but the fact that the Irishman performed so strongly says a lot about the driver, undoubtedly, but mostly about how good this car is.

In the second session, confirmation came with a double from Norris and Piastri, and there were only 0.3 seconds between the English driver and Verstappen, who was the best of the rest. Thus, McLaren leaves Friday even more favored than it already was, hinting at an internal battle that seems capable of being spoiled only by Verstappen.

Verstappen targets McLaren and puts himself in contention in Austria

Even though McLaren is the favorite and Red Bull has some significant challenges on their track in Austria, Verstappen can make a difference. And a big one. An expert on the Spielberg circuit, the Dutchman has been competitive year after year there, so he cannot be discounted. It may seem like he's a bit behind, but he has everything to take advantage of any gap that opens up. It wouldn't be absurd at all to think of Max with pole position or even winning the Austrian round. The duo from Red Bull must be very careful.

Mercedes attempts to dodge heat to become a factor in the dispute

Russell's leadership in the first free practice session doesn't seem to have impressed Mercedes much. On a day when Kimi Antonelli struggled, the silver cars still found themselves behind the McLarens and clearly point to the rival team as the favorite in Austria. The truth is that a podium there would be quite an achievement, the challenge with the heat is no joke. Again: Mercedes struggles above 25°C, which will likely be easily surpassed in the next two days. It's about trying to keep Russell in the fight somehow, but it would be quite a surprise to see a silver car at the top.

Problems, lack of rhythm, and complaints: another day at Ferrari in 2025

A Ferrari had another one of those days in 2025. A problematic Friday filled with complaints and mishaps, I mean, typical of the team's current season. The highlight here goes to Lewis Hamilton with gearbox issues, losing the race simulation, while Leclerc once again demanded pace from the team. And there is no prospect that the Italians will be competitive in Austria.

Bortoleto stands out with two top-10 finishes and strengthens his good chance of scoring points in Austria.

Never has the feeling that Bortoleto is aiming for points been stronger than now, at the Red Bull Ring. With two top-10 finishes and increasing confidence in the updated Sauber car, the Brazilian performed much better than Hülkenberg on Friday, and given that the 'F1 B' teams are not very well established in a weekend order, Gabriel seems to have good chances of scoring points. It’s all about getting everything right from tomorrow: flirting with Q3, starting well, having race pace, and of course, for Sauber to get the strategy right.