Max Verstappen doesn’t miss a beat: not so much because he closed the first practice session of the Austrian GP in the lead with Red Bull, but because the Dutchman suffered an electrical failure shortly after halfway through the session. Max drove down the uphill home straight and turned off the engine, keeping the RB20 in neutral. Race direction showed the red flag, blocking free practice, while Verstappen proceeded backwards on the straight, looking for an opening in the pit wall. The Milton Keynes car was thus pushed into the garage by the stewards. An electrical reset with the engine off was enough and the three-time world champion was able to set off again when the green light came on.
The orange rider on the soft tires reached a time of 1’05″685, a time which is two tenths better than last year. Verstappen found himself at ease in the flying lap with a very deflated Honda engine, while previously he suffered with the mediums, proceeding with continuous changes in setup, a sign that Red Bull confirms its difficulties in finding a setup on the weekends with the Sprint race.
Behind the world championship leader, Oscar Piastri emerged with the McLaren equipped with the flow viz because the Australian took to the track with the MCL38 equipped with the new front wing and with the redesigned front suspension covers. Piastri, after a dull Spanish GP, comes back with a 1’05″961 at 276 thousandths from Max. His teammate Norris is only 13th because with the soft, after being the fastest in T1, he ended up wide in the sand having to abort the lap: the Englishman lapped with the standard version of the papaya single-seater. The Woking team has the courage to bring new things even when there is only one free practice session. Brave!
Then there are the Ferraris with Charles Leclerc third, 370 thousandths behind Verstappen and Sainz follows less than a tenth. In fifth place we find Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes: the seven-time world champion impressed because with the W15 he dedicated himself to work dedicated to hard tyres. Lewis closed 39 laps with one train and completed a 22-lap long run with impressive pace. Hamilton aimed to prepare for the race, giving the sensation of believing so much in the silver-black car to the point of giving up the qualifying simulation.
George Russell mounted the red ones, but aborted his lap due to traffic and was satisfied with an eighth performance which was not significant: Esteban Ocon with Alpine and Lance Stroll with Aston Martin squeezed in between the two Mercedes.
After complaining about a power steering problem, Yuki Tsunoda put the Racing Bulls in ninth place ahead of the other “green guy” of Fernando Alonso.
Outside the top 10 is Pierre Gasly who has just renewed with Alpine: the Frenchman has put himself behind Sergio Perez who is also struggling with traffic problems. The Mexican is suffering in search of the best set-up: as in Spain he has made many changes to the set-up, without getting anywhere.
The two Saubers of Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas are separated by 39 thousandths and are content with 14th and 15th position ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in crisis with the Racing Bull: the Australian pays four tenths of a second from his Japanese teammate and feels Liam Lawson breathing down his neck.
Nico Hulkenberg is 17th, with Alexander Albon having squeezed between the two Haas, with Kevin Magnessun following closely behind. The Dane leaves Logan Sargeant in last place with the usual FW46 condemned to close the field.
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