Motoring News

F1 moves on from Barcelona to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, where various car and power unit developments are expected to be rolled out. But what exactly will each squad be running? F1.com presents a round-up…

Kimi Antonelli set the pace in Free Practice 1 for the Austrian Grand Prix, beating team mate George Russell as the Mercedes pair headed McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the Red Bull Ring.

Live coverage of Friday's first Formula 1 practice session for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

When the lights go out in Austria, bettors will be watching closely to make accurate predictions in real-time.

Mercedes could face another challenging weekend in its battle with power unit reliability at the Austrian Grand Prix, with F1 TV pundit Alex Brundle warning that the altitude of the Red Bull Ring may exacerbate the Brackley outfit's concerns.
Following a string of retirements for Mercedes, including those of George Russell at the Canadian Grand Prix and Kimi Antonelli at the ...Keep reading

If Red Bull Formula 1 driver Isack Hadjar has one priority for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, it's for the Frenchman and his team to avoid adding to his enormous tally of lost positions at the start of a grand prix.
Race starts have been an Achilles heel for Red Bull and its sister team Racing Bulls as they get up to speed with the brand-new power unit from Red Bull-Ford Powertrains ...Keep reading

Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell in a Mercedes one-two in first practice at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli topped first practice at Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix, having a slight edge on team-mate George Russell at a toasty Red Bull Ring.
Russell led the opening running in Spielberg on mediums with a 1m10.407s and then 1m09.898s, ahead of team-mate Antonelli. The Italian teenager took over command with a 1m08.448s lap, but a better comparison came at ...Keep reading

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes the unique, unforgiving nature of the Red Bull Ring will inevitably trigger on-track battles between team-mates at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.
Speaking on F1 TV's Weekend Warm-up programme, the Colombian explained that the short, sharp layout of the Spielberg circuit leaves drivers with nowhere to hide.
When quizzed about the ...Keep reading

MotoGP riders offered limited clues about what the championship could look like in 2027 after testing the new 850cc bikes and Pirelli’s new slick tyre range for the first time on Monday.
A day after the Czech GP, Pirelli hosted a private test at Brno to get feedback from race riders ahead of its entry into MotoGP next year. All development work was carried out on 850cc prototypes, with all ...Keep reading

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has given fans a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of his own Madame Tussauds wax figure, documenting the extensive, year-long process in his latest YouTube vlog.
The British driver took viewers on the journey with him from the initial measurements to the first time he saw the completed waxwork. 
"This one's been a very long time in the making. In ...Keep reading

Red Bull has registered a series of updates for the Austrian Grand Prix in its efforts to reclaim ground on the current top three Formula 1 teams, detailing a number of changes to its bodywork and floor.
The team is currently fourth in the constructors' championship and 52 points shy of McLaren, but remains 32 points clear of fifth-placed Alpine. With a handful of driveability concerns with ...Keep reading

Alongside the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is also keeping an eye on another event in the background this weekend: the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
The four-time world champion cannot compete himself this time, although he has previously revealed that he would have been on the grid had the Ardennes endurance race not clashed with an F1 weekend.
However, Verstappen Racing ...Keep reading

Lando Norris has expressed his view that McLaren are “three months behind” their rivals in the 2026 development race, highlighting the “huge effort” that will be required to get back to winning ways.

Hyundai's Thierry Neuville moved into the lead of Acropolis Rally Greece after a punishing Friday morning loop that inflicted a series of punctures to crews.
The 2024 world champion and two-time Acropolis winner ended the opening gravel loop 11.0s clear of Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier, while M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong impressed to hold third, 21.2s from the lead.
Nine-time world ...Keep reading

Max Verstappen has unveiled a striking new helmet design that he will sport over the next three grand prix weekends, serving as a heartfelt tribute to his dedicated fans.
The four-time Formula 1 champion will debut the 'Orange Lion' design at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, the home race of Red Bull, before continuing to run the new helmet in Belgium and Hungary.
"Austria is, of course ...Keep reading

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes will silence its doubters at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, predicting that the Brackley outfit will bounce back "firing on all cylinders" despite the threat of Ferrari.
During an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast ahead of the race weekend at the Red Bull Ring, Steiner dismissed suggestions that Mercedes could be ...Keep reading

Esteban Ocon claimed “people can say whatever the f**k they want” about his Formula 1 future as he’s just focusing on improving his fortunes.
Questions are starting to linger surrounding the 29-year-old’s future as his contract expires at the end of the 2026 campaign and he has struggled since joining Haas in 2025.
Last season, he was beaten by rookie team-mate Oliver Bearman, who ...Keep reading

With seven races completed, Formula 1 drivers have collected just a single penalty point this year - with Franco Colapinto receiving one for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags during the Barcelona race. There have still been no penalty points issued for incidents arising from battles on track.
This is the result of revised FIA guidelines introduced ahead of the season, giving ...Keep reading

So far this season, Aston Martin has finished in the points just once – and even that was due to Fernando Alonso gaining two positions because of penalties applied to Formula 1 drivers who had finished ahead.
This trajectory is locked in for the next few rounds given the team’s policy of waiting to introduce a major new upgrade package this summer in one hit, rather than applying ...Keep reading