Motosport General discussion tread --- Formula1, MotoGP, WTCC, ETCC, DTM.....

[redsun114]

I also asked the same question at first. But it seems like that young kid is doing much better than Russell now. 

Russell is just lost man... He had a great opportunity in Catalunya actually after Antonelli was DNF. But even in that situation he lost the lead to Hamilton.

I think it would be great for Mercedes to bring Verstappen to replace Russell.

I mean that's the point, if a 19 year old kid does better than you with the same car, then I am sorry but your seat is not safe. Why would they give him such a max contract if he is getting mogged by a 2 million euro contract 19 year old kid? This is why Max Verstappen situation would mean that Kimi would stay and George would be the one to leave. And in that case, I seriously expect a trade as well, because Red Bull should be getting George as a replacement, he would not be perfect, but there aren't anyone better on the market.

[ILuckyGuyI]

If you don't perform at the level that your team expects from you then you just deserve to be sent away... Russell's situation is exactly this now.

He has the fastest car on the grid but he still can't make use of any opportunity. Even in the last race he couldn't do that!

I bet Max would do much better than him if he was to be signed by Mercedes. 

[retreat]

Kimi dominated FP2 with a time of 1m07.014s, just ahead of Piastri. He managed to maintain his soft tires despite the hot weather and posted a satisfactory time in this practice session. As for Max, he could only manage P4 in this practice session. The expectation was that he could take the podium at their hometown race, but it seems their performance wasn't enough. Let's see what they have prepared for FP3 and Qualifying.

2026 F1 Austrian GP - Practice Results (2)
Pos   Driver   Nat.   Team   Time   Laps
1   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m07.014s   32
2   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m07.251s   32
3   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m07.339s   32
4   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m07.564s   29
5   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m07.611s   33
6   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m07.637s   25
7   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m07.758s   28
8   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m07.855s   35
9   Liam Lawson   NWZ   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m08.235s   34
10   Gabriel Bortoleto   BRA   Audi Revolut F1 Team   1m08.300s   30

[tokeweed]

Here are the results for FP3...  Looks like Russell edges it out against Antonelli with just a few tenths of a second.    It's going to be interesting to see these guys at Q3 in qualifying for sure.  Let's see who has the grit between the two.

But it would be funny if by some miracle Verstappen comes out on top.  Lolol. 

1      George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m07.096s   19
2   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m07.134s   17
3   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m07.211s   22
4   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m07.344s   17
5   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m07.360s   20
6   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m07.369s   16
7   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m07.452s   24
8   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m07.912s   27
9   Liam Lawson   NWZ   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m08.031s   21
10   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m08.109s   24
11   Pierre Gasly   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m08.193s   16
12   Nico Hulkenberg   GER   Audi Revolut F1 Team   1m08.303s   22
13   Gabriel Bortoleto   BRA   Audi Revolut F1 Team   1m08.311s   22
14   Franco Colapinto   ARG   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m08.394s   18
15   Oliver Bearman   GBR   TGR Haas F1 Team   1m08.529s   19
16   Esteban Ocon   FRA   TGR Haas F1 Team   1m08.707s   15
17   Carlos Sainz   SPA   Atlassian Williams F1 Team   1m08.843s   27
18   Alex Albon   THA   Atlassian Williams F1 Team   1m08.992s   25
19   Sergio Perez   MEX   Cadillac F1 Team   1m09.532s   29
20   Valtteri Bottas   FIN   Cadillac F1 Team   1m09.740s   24
21   Fernando Alonso   SPA   Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   1m10.421s   21
22   Lance Stroll   CAN   Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   1m10.567s   19

[retreat]

But it would be funny if by some miracle Verstappen comes out on top.  Lolol.  

The miracle almost happened, but it was so bad that he had to crash and only got P5  

Russell was fortunate that his pole position didn't receive further action, as only a single yellow was shown on the screens, despite the flags and boards indicating otherwise. Meanwhile, Ferrari secured second and third place in qualifying, an impressive result after their lackluster practice session. Kimi followed in fourth after a less than satisfactory performance.

2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix: Qualifying results
Pos   Driver   Nat.   Team   Q1   Q2   Q3
1   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m07.398s   1m06.979s   1m06.113s
2   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m07.543s   1m07.030s   1m06.349s
3   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m07.290s   1m06.994s   1m06.408s
4   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m07.083s   1m06.763s   1m06.414s
5   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m07.407s   1m07.183s   1m06.475s
6   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m07.259s   1m06.897s   1m06.502s
7   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m07.487s   1m06.890s   1m06.511s
8   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m07.408s   1m07.136s   1m06.632s
9   Liam Lawson   NZL   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m07.385s   1m07.136s   1m06.955s
10   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m07.549s   1m07.155s   1m07.007s

[Distraction]

Let's try it again... Russell is once again on pole after Barcelona-Catalunya. But will he be able to secure a win for himself this time though? That's the actual question now!

Because he couldn't do that the last time as Hamilton got a very dominant win.    This time Antonelli is starting even further away from Russell. But I will keep my doubts on Russell until he proves himself back again by getting wins often.

[Distraction]

We have our winner of the Austrian Grand Prix, George Russell!! 



Truthfully I wasn't expecting him to get a win as I shared my doubts earlier here. But he did it finally... Still the gap with Antonelli is quite big though.


I really liked Max's performance today. Laurent Mekies told people not to expect too much from Red Bull despite big upgrades here. Was it just a diversion then? If there was one more lap Antonelli could have overtaken him by the way.

[tokeweed]

But it would be funny if by some miracle Verstappen comes out on top.  Lolol.  

The miracle almost happened, but it was so bad that he had to crash and only got P5  

The miracle was Verstappen got a finish at the podium and a spot higher than Antonelli.    As you guys already saw from last week, Verstappen at 3.00 was looking good.  

Anyway, next race is gonna be really good...  At Silverstone!  What's the line for Hamilton to finish top 3?  

2026 F1 British GP Schedule
Track:  Silverstone Circuit



July 3, Friday:  Practice 1  12:30 - 13:30
July 3, Friday:  Sprint Qualifying  16:30 - 17:15
July 4, Saturday:  Sprint  12:00 - 13:00
July 4, Saturday:  Qualifying  16:00 - 17:00
July 5, Sunday:  Race  15:00

Edit:  Typos

[retreat]

Max getting P2 was very impressive, because he had crashed in qualifying and had to start from P5, but he managed to get P2 - not a win, but at least the result was very impressive considering their current condition. Meanwhile for Ferrari, instead of performing like what they did at the Barcelona GP yesterday, they actually sluggish again despite having achieved a very good position in qualifying. Once again they showed how bad their strategy is. Meanwhile for Mercedes, they are still very strong and after this Austrian GP race both Kimi and Russell are in positions 1 and 2 in the driver standings. Kimi is still very strong at the top. The next race is Silverstone, let's see if Mercedes can continue their dominance.

[goodpunt]

Looks like George Russell is finally back and maybe he can mount a comeback like Lando Norris last season.
I'm a bit disappointed with Ferrari.....the hype after the Spanish Grand Prix was a bit shortlived but I hope Hamilton will be in the mix again soon

[tokeweed]

^  Nope...  Not back.  It's just one race.    Let's see how it goes at the subsequent races til the end of the season.  Lol.

Anyway looks like the bookies are getting smart and gave Hamilton a 1.66 price tag to finish top 3 at Silverstone.  So I guess the value is with the McLaren boys lined at 6.00 for Norris and 8.00 for Piastri. 

Let's see how it goes.

[Volgastallion]

I agree with the guys above me, i dont know if Russel is back plus the FIA gift to him the pole position so despute you after it still has to win the GP(and he did it) it is a big help so i cant count it in full.

About the decission FIA keeps making a complete disaster in their decission makings marshalls.

[Distraction]

Looks like George Russell is finally back and maybe he can mount a comeback like Lando Norris last season.
I'm a bit disappointed with Ferrari.....the hype after the Spanish Grand Prix was a bit shortlived but I hope Hamilton will be in the mix again soon

I'm also thinking he isn't back yet man.    Not enough data in our hands to be confident of it at least... He needs to win a few more races in a row to be convincing for that.

Just like Antonelli has done so far. Russell's car is probably faster than his teammate normally. He is their main driver technically. But lack of concentration has brought him to this point.

[goodpunt]

^  Nope...  Not back.  It's just one race.    Let's see how it goes at the subsequent races til the end of the season.  Lol.

I'm also thinking he isn't back yet man.    Not enough data in our hands to be confident of it at least... He needs to win a few more races in a row to be convincing for that.

Just like Antonelli has done so far. Russell's car is probably faster than his teammate normally. He is their main driver technically. But lack of concentration has brought him to this point.

You are of course right it's indeed too early at the moment for a conclusion
Let's hope Russell can build on his last win and keep the momentum going.

There will be surely GPs where Antonelli will have some weaker races since he is just in his 2nd year.
Not that I would mind if he wins the WDC but a bit more competition would be nice!

[ILuckyGuyI]

It's time for some action in the British GP this week! 



There have been different drivers to have won in the last a few years here. Norris won the 2025 race in Great Britain. How about a Hamilton win this time?

Or Russell to keep this effort going with the fastest car of this season and get another win? Who is your favourite here? Honestly I'd love to see Hamilton winning at home.

[retreat]

Hamilton secured his third sprint qualifying pole position in the upcoming sprint race. He beat Kimi in the final minute by a razor-thin margin. He's confident this weekend, given his home race and familiarity with the track. Furthermore, Max also secured third place after beating Charles Leclerc's time with a time of 1m28.697s. Max is also working towards a podium finish this weekend. Let's see how the sprint race unfolds.

2026 F1 British Grand Prix - Sprint Qualifying Results
Pos   Driver   Nat.   Team   Q1   Q2   Q3
1   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m29.273s   1m28.747s   1m28.376s
2   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m29.746s   1m28.846s   1m28.387s
3   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m29.689s   1m29.242s   1m28.697s
4   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m29.380s   1m28.922s   1m28.703s
5   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m29.675s   1m29.246s   1m28.733s
6   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m30.142s   1m29.401s   1m28.740s
7   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m29.583s   1m29.120s   1m28.772s
8   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m29.470s   1m29.280s   1m28.835s
9   Liam Lawson   NZL   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m29.850s   1m29.067s   1m28.927s
10   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m30.453s   1m29.330s   1m29.367s

[retreat]

It wasn't a particularly exciting sprint race. It seemed a bit boring, though Kimi still managed to secure a podium finish in the Sprint race. This was Kimi's first victory in a sprint race.

As for the qualifying session, Kimi once again secured pole position and will lead the race. Meanwhile, the Ferraris took P2 and P3. It's great that Ferrari was able to secure such strong positions for the race, but their strategy will once again be put to the test here. Let's hope they don't mess up Charles's race again.

2026 F1 British Grand Prix - Qualifying Results
Pos   Driver   Nat.   Team   Q1   Q2   Q3
1   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m29.719s   1m28.493s   1m28.111s
2   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m29.534s   1m28.626s   1m28.286s
3   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m29.644s   1m28.864s   1m28.458s
4   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m29.985s   1m28.920s   1m28.481s
5   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m29.276s   1m29.069s   1m28.746s
6   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m30.186s   1m29.383s   1m28.877s
7   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m29.549s   1m29.113s   1m28.893s
8   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m29.971s   1m29.218s   1m29.032s
9   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m29.661s   1m29.234s   1m29.305s
10   Liam Lawson   NZL   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m29.300s   1m29.429s   1m29.716s

[ILuckyGuyI]

Antonelli had a really good sprint race at first and increased the gap with Russell in driver standings to 43 points. Later on, another strong effort in qualifying! 

Ferraris looked really solid again. What's happening? Are they really gaining strength finally? I hope they don't struggle during the race tomorrow. Especially Leclerc... He is way behind Hamilton this season.

[goodpunt]

I absolutely missed the British GP and just checked the results
Not sure where my head was but of course happy for Leclerc and Hamilton!
I have no idea what happened in the race, so will now read the recap.
But fantastic to see Ferrari back in the mix!

[tokeweed]

^  Yup same...  This was one of the races that I was looking forward to and I wasn't able to watch it.    And it looked like it was a great race too.  Leclerc getting first..?  What happened there?  Would've loved to see Hamilton get it.

But good thing the next race is another one I'm looking forward to.  The Belgian Grand Prix. 

2026 F1 British Grand Prix - Grand Prix Race Results

1   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   52 Laps
2   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   +0.427s
3   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   +0.772s
4   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   +1.149s
5   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   +1.598s
6   Liam Lawson   NZD   Racing Bulls   +2.023s
7   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Racing Bulls   +2.214s
8   Gabriel Bortoleto   BRA   Audi Revolut F1 Team   +2.413s
9   Franco Colapinto   ARG   BWT Alpine F1 Team   +3.229s
10   Pierre Gasly   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   +3.445s
11   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   +4.014s
12   Carlos Sainz   ESP   Atlassian Williams F1 Team   +4.391s
13   Ollie Bearman   GBR   TGR Haas F1 Team   +5.245s
14   Esteban Ocon   FRA   TGR Haas F1 Team   +5.512s
15   Sergio Perez   MEX   Cadillac F1 Team   +7.403s
16   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   +8.005s
17   Valtteri Bottas   FIN   Cadillac F1 Team   +8.162s
18   Fernando Alonso   ESP   Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   +1 Lap
19   Lance Stroll   CAN   Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   +1 Lap
20   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   +6 Laps
DNF   Alex Albon   THA   Atlassian Williams F1 Team   +9 Laps
DNF   Nico Hulkenberg   GER   Audi Revolut F1 Team   +16 Laps