George Russell set the fastest lap in the final practice session (FP3) at the 2026 Formula 1® Austrian Grand Prix, narrowly edging out his Mercedes teammate and championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The session, held on a hot day with track temperatures exceeding 30°C, showcased a tight competition among the top teams ahead of qualifying.
Russell clocked a best time of 1m07.096s, just 0.038 seconds quicker than Antonelli, who had earlier posted a strong lap of 1m07.134s but was unable to improve in the closing minutes. Lewis Hamilton impressed for Ferrari, finishing third and trailing Russell by 0.115 seconds. McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secured fourth and fifth places respectively, with Max Verstappen in sixth for Red Bull Racing. Charles Leclerc faced difficulties with grip and tyre damage, ending the session seventh.
The session highlighted the close margins separating the leading teams, with the top four separated by just over three tenths of a second midway through FP3. Russell reported some issues with front axle braking that affected his lap time, yet he still managed to top the timesheets. Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad made it into the top 10, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were positioned towards the back of the field, behind teams such as Haas, Williams, and Cadillac.
Mercedes prevented a clean sweep of the Austrian Grand Prix practice sessions by Antonelli, with Russell’s late lap proving decisive. The session came after Mercedes had suffered their first grand prix defeat of the 2026 season in Barcelona, where Ferrari and Hamilton had taken the upper hand. McLaren also showed promising pace in Austria, with both drivers closely following the top three.
Charles Leclerc’s challenges with tyre wear and grip underlined ongoing difficulties for Ferrari at the Red Bull Ring. Meanwhile, Aston Martin’s position near the bottom of the timesheets reflected continued struggles in hot conditions, with Alonso noting specific technical issues affecting performance. The session’s results set a competitive tone for the qualifying session, with several teams separated by narrow margins.
Overall, the final practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix provided a clear snapshot of the competitive order on the grid, with Mercedes drivers leading the way despite minor technical setbacks. The close times among the top teams suggest that qualifying will be tightly contested, with drivers and teams aiming to extract maximum performance in the upcoming sessions.
