Max Verstappen eyes advantage as George Russell tops Austrian GP practice

George Russell set the fastest time in the third free‑practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, clocking 1:07.096. Max Verstappen finished sixth but narrowed the gap to the leaders to just 0.273 seconds, improving on earlier sessions where he was more than half a second slower.

Verstappen said the hot conditions – around 35 °C at the start – would make tyre management crucial and highlighted that Red Bull has two sets of medium and two sets of hard tyres, giving him a strategic edge. He emphasized his aim to “extract the maximum” from the car for the fans and expressed confidence heading into qualifying at 16:00.

After seven races, Verstappen sits seventh in the drivers’ standings with 55 points, while Kimi Antonelli leads with 156 points, followed by Lewis Hamilton (115) and Russell (106). The upcoming race will test strategies on the fast, heat‑affected circuit.