George Russell set the fastest time in the third and final practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, lapping the Red Bull Ring in 1 minute 7.096 seconds to edge out his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.038 seconds. The Briton’s late effort on used soft tyres denied Antonelli a clean sweep of practice sessions after the Italian, who leads the world championship, had dominated Friday’s running. Lewis Hamilton, fresh from his first Ferrari victory in Spain, was third quickest, 0.115 seconds off the pace, reinforcing the sense from European paddock observers that the seven-time champion is emerging as a genuine title threat.

The session unfolded in sweltering heat, with track temperatures declared hazardous, allowing drivers to wear cooling vests. Antonelli had initially stamped his authority, lowering the benchmark to 1:07.134 before Russell’s final surge. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, speaking to Sky Sports, acknowledged the internal competition: “Kimi is very fast. That’s why we hired him, and the same goes for George. He doesn’t need to prove to anyone that he has speed.” Behind the silver arrows, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were fourth and fifth, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could manage only sixth, leaving the home team’s fans with tempered expectations ahead of qualifying.

For Argentine driver Franco Colapinto, the session was a struggle. He finished 14th in his Alpine, over 1.2 seconds adrift of Russell, and was heard on team radio complaining of poor balance and understeer. Argentine media noted that Colapinto had been eighth in Friday’s first practice but slipped back as the weekend progressed, with his teammate Pierre Gasly 11th. The 21-year-old, who has scored points in four of the seven races this season, will need a significant step forward in qualifying to maintain his mid-season momentum. Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, in the Audi, placed 13th, continuing a steady if unspectacular weekend.

In the support categories, Argentine hopes were further dampened. Nicolás Varrone qualified 22nd and last for the Formula 2 feature race, over 1.2 seconds off pole-sitter Noel León, and will start from the back in both the sprint and main races. In Formula 3, 17-year-old Mattia Colnaghi took 18th on the grid, half a second shy of the top time. Spanish-language reports described Varrone’s performance as a “flojo inicio” (weak start), while Colnaghi faces an “ardua labor” (arduous task) to score points.

Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time (3 p.m. BST), with the grid set to be decided on one of the shortest and most intense laps of the calendar. The tight margins in practice suggest a closely fought session, with Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren all in contention, and Red Bull seeking to recover ground at their home circuit.