Overview

• George Russell topped first practice for Mercedes with the fastest lap at Spielberg, building on his Canadian Grand Prix victory.
• Lando Norris rebounded from his collision in Canada by leading second practice, finishing 0.157 seconds clear of teammate Oscar Piastri.
• Oscar Piastri maintains a 22-point lead over Norris in the drivers’ standings after 10 of 24 races, with McLaren holding a substantial constructors’ advantage.
• Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged ongoing exploratory discussions to sign four-time champion Max Verstappen for the 2026 season.
• Max Verstappen will compete at the Austrian Grand Prix without his regular engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who is absent for personal reasons and replaced by Simon Rennie.