The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix weekend kicked off under a relentless sun. With ambient temperatures soaring, the FIA officially triggered the “Heat Hazard” protocol as it exceeded the 31°C threshold. 

Drivers are given a choice: wear the liquid-cooling vest or carry an additional 500g of ballast in their car to compensate for the weight of the cooling system. Most drivers opted to hit the track wearing the vests. They used the session to evaluate the comfort and cooling efficiency of the system before the rest of the weekend.

Rookie Spotlight

6 rookies were on the track for this opening session of the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix:

• Dino Beganovic (Ferrari): The Swede stepped into Charles Leclerc’s car. He had previously filled in for Lewis Hamilton during the opening practice in Barcelona, where he secured an eighth-place finish. This session seemed also successful, as he finished 9th, the best finish among the rookies. 

• Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls): He returned to the grid after his Barcelona appearance. The Japanese driver took over Liam Lawson’s seat for the session.

• Ryo Hirakawa (Haas): Hirakawa replaced Esteban Ocon for the hour-long session

• Luke Browning (Williams): After technical problems forced him to miss his scheduled run in Spain, Browning got a second chance by substituting for Carlos Sainz.

• Paul Aron (Audi): Continuing his development with his seventh career FP1 outing, Aron drove in place of Gabriel Bortoleto. He arrived in Spielberg following a strong sixth-place performance in Barcelona.

• Jak Crawford (Aston Martin): The American driver returned for his second practice session of the season, taking the wheel from Lance Stroll. Crawford is familiar with the Red Bull Ring, having previously tested at the venue and enjoyed junior-category success there.

Session Mishaps

The opening practice session at the Red Bull Ring proved to be an important data-gathering moment, as teams used the hour to evaluate significant updates on their cars.

Just four minutes in, Max Verstappen reported anti-stall issues every time he released the clutch, triggering a yellow flag for a few seconds as he obstructed the pit lane. His car was held in the garage for examination. Despite a brief initial return, the Red Bull was pulled back for further adjustments. He finally rejoined the track after the 25-minute mark to begin the session at his home event that is the Austrian Grand Prix.

He reported issues as the car shook under braking but still finished the session, even securing 4th place.  

Breaking issues emerged as a primary concern throughout the session, with multiple drivers reporting technical inconsistencies. George Russell noted an erratic throttle-pedal feel, while Oscar Piastri flagged a lack of brake response. 

Pérez’s Rollercoaster:

Cadillac has brought many car developments this weekend, making more changes than any other team. On track, Sergio Perez faced a couple of problems. First, he had to pit early because part of the bodywork on the right-hand side began to come off. Then, with 14 minutes left, he had an ignition failure that shut the car down on track. Fortunately, it fired back up on its own. 

This exact same situation happened once again with a minute to spare into the session, this time not turning back on and triggering a red flag which ended the session. His teammate, Valtteri Bottas, did not seem to face similar problems. 

On the Ferrari side, Charles Leclerc spoke to the media about the team’s updates for this weekend. He noted that they’ve brought a new engine package, including a revised fuel blend, a new block, and a lighter battery pack. However, he kept expectations in check, saying it’s only a small step forward and that there is still a significant gap to close before they can really challenge Mercedes. During the session, while no incredible amelioration was seen, Lewis Hamilton had a relatively calm session (without major issues), securing 5th place. 

Garage Delays:

Isack Hadjar hit the track with 26 minutes remaining, though he quickly ran into car balance issues that persisted throughout his run. 

Meanwhile, it was a frustrating morning for Lando Norris; his McLaren was sidelined for most of the session by a hydraulic problem. He didn’t manage to get out on track until the final 15 minutes, ultimately completing only nine laps. This marks a significant deficit compared to the 30-lap counts seen from the Mercedes garage.

Mercedes looked strong, holding an advantage of nearly a second over the rest of the field for most of the session. However, that gap didn’t last, as Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen both found pace in the closing stages.

The final rankings of the opening session for the Austrian Grand Prix stand as such: