Kimi Antonelli has revealed what caused his Barcelona Catalunya Grand Prix retirement and that Mercedes is set to introduce measures to solve its power unit unreliability from this weekend.<\/p>\n
During an interview at the Red Bull Ring, Antonelli confirmed that he will run a new power unit paired with an updated battery pack featuring several corrective measures made by Mercedes following its recent breakdowns, something CEO and team principal Toto Wolff said the team must fix if it wants to fight for the world titles.<\/p>\n
Antonelli explained, \u201cThe issues had actually surfaced some time ago. I already had some trouble in FP1 in Miami, and then came George\u2019s retirement in Montreal. We\u2019ve left quite a few points on the table. It\u2019s true that a component suddenly experienced a sharp temperature spike, which caused the battery to glitch.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also says it wasn\u2019t strictly temperature\u2011related, which could be good news for the team, as a heat hazard has been declared this weekend, as much of Europe grapples under a heatwave, and the FIA declared a heat hazard. More on that and how Mercedes plans to fix that, later.<\/p>\n
The other question being asked is whether Mercedes made a strategy error not opting for a three\u2011stop race as Ferrari did with the winner Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli explained in theory that running in clean air, Mercedes believed that their simulations suggested the two-stop strategy would be slightly faster.<\/p>\n
It was a different story, however, to the point raised by Wolff immediately after the chequered flag in Barcelona. The Mercedes team principal noted that the time lost in the direct wheel\u2011to\u2011wheel fight between Russell and Antonelli had been far from ideal for the team.<\/p>\n
he said, \u201cThere was a meeting on the matter, and Toto was very clear. If we find ourselves in a situation like Barcelona again, under pressure from our rivals, there will be a team order, especially if one of the two cars is showing better pace. If, on the other hand, we\u2019re fighting each other without pressure from another team, we\u2019ll be free to race, just as we were in Montreal.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mercedes will also bring upgrades this weekend designed to address the recent reliability issues which have affected them and their power unit customers. In Barcelona two weeks ago, in the closing stages, championship leader Kimi Antonelli retired with a power unit issue.<\/p>\n
Antonelli’s retirement in Barcelona saw his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton reduced to forty-one points as the Brit claimed his first grand prix victory for Ferrari. Wolff said: “Barcelona acted as a benchmark for our current performance and, having won the first six races, offered a reality check. Others have gained ground quickly and we need to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in a fight for both championships but must improve if we want to come out on top come the end of the season. Our Achilles heel so far has been reliability. We have lost a large amount of points across both cars in recent races; if we don’t put together clean weekends, our competitors will happily take advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wolff\u2019s home Grand Prix in Spielberg, often produces tight and exciting qualifying contests due to the short nature of the lap and relative lack of corners.<\/p>\n
He added: “The margins are tight, and will be even tighter around Spielberg given the length of the lap. We need to put together a better weekend than we have in recent races but if we can deliver to our maximum, then we know we can challenge for victory.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says Charles Leclerc must learn from Lewis Hamilton’s assertiveness and mental approach to extract the maximum from Ferrari. The seven-time champion scored his first Grand Prix win in Barcelona, with Steiner says Leclerc should not only focus on the telemetry data or technical set-ups, but also on how Hamilton works with the team.<\/p>\n
Steiner said during an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast, \u201cCharles is a very fast race car driver. Charles is also clever. He will jump on the bandwagon, on the Lewis Hamilton bandwagon, like we saw in Monte Carlo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said, \u201c’I want what Lewis had on his car, the brakes, I need to go in that direction.’ It gave him the confidence that what Lewis does is good, and now he has to use what Lewis does and maybe take a step back to go forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe needs to say, ‘I did it my way, obviously Lewis’s way worked better because he won a race and I didn’t, and now I need to come back and see what he does and try to be faster than him\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Steiner argued that Leclerc needs to learn from Hamilton’s proactive approach and his willingness to push back against the team when necessary. He added, “With Charles, I don’t think it’s in the car; the balance of these cars is pretty good. But I think what Charles will learn from what Lewis did is more about how he approached getting it his way.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton suggested his experience could benefit him in a possible 2026 title battle as he urged his Ferrari team to keep pushing to challenge Mercedes. The seven-time champion scored his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona, reducing Kimi Antonelli\u2019s lead to forty-one points and ending Mercedes’ streak of six successive wins to start the season.<\/p>\n
The result has heightened excitement around the possibility of Hamilton mounting a challenge for a record eighth title, with his bid to resume at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. As well as ending Ferrari\u2019s nineteen year wait for a championship.<\/p>\n
Speaking ahead of this weekend, Hamilton said, \u201cIn terms of the championship, I’m not letting that stuff… I’ve been here before; I know what I have to do. There’s a long way to go. We’re not arriving at this weekend thinking about the championship. We’re thinking about this weekend, executing the best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferrari is hopeful of a further boost this weekend from the implementation of their first engine upgrade of 2026, having been given the opportunity to close the gap on Red Bull and Mercedes, who were both adjudged to have strong performing power units.<\/p>\n
On the engine upgrade Hamilton said, \u201cThis weekend we do have a new engine. It’s a step, it’s not the whole gap, but it’s a step, it’s one foot forwards, which I’m really proud and thankful for.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMercedes are the team to beat, they’ve won everything else and they’ve been just incredible this year. They’ve got a great car, it’s an amazing team – a world championship team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking about the reaction to his first Ferrari win following eighteen months of lows including 2025 where he failed to score a grand prix podium. He has started 2026, following the introduction of new regulations, in far better form, and claimed successive second-place finishes before surging to victory in Spain.<\/p>\n
The 41-year-old’s win unsurprisingly drew great enthusiasm from the sport’s followers, but Hamilton admitted he was surprised by the warmth of reaction from his rivals on the grid.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cI wasn’t expecting that, for sure. It was really appreciated because ultimately, I have so much respect for all the drivers that show up every weekend, experience the highs and lows, the criticism, the positives, and they still continue to show up with a brave face and do what they do to the best of their ability.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re competitors and we all want to beat each other on track, and none of us are happy with not finishing ahead of the other. We have GPDA [Grand Prix Drivers’ Association] as a tight-knit group of drivers, more close than I would imagine any other generation, at least in the last twenty years. It was really special to see the support from them.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
McLaren says they are optimistic at being able to be in \u201cthe fight at the front” at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix as they confirmed the introduction of an “experimental rear wing” on the MCL40. The current champions are yet to win a race this season but have finished on the podium four times.<\/p>\n
Following Lando Norris’ third-placed finish last time out in Barcelona, the team believes there is potential for the reigning world champion or his team-mate Oscar Piastri to reach the top step of the podium in Spielberg.<\/p>\n
McLaren technical director for applied engineering, Neil Houldey, said, \u201cAustria has historically been a strong track for us, and while we take nothing for granted in such a tight field, we are optimistic that the car and driver characteristics will again suit the circuit, putting us in the fight at the front.\u201d<\/p>\n
Houldey also says that this weekend the team will bring upgrades as the development war continues following this season’s regulation changes. Among the new parts will be an “experimental rear wing” that is expected to have similarities with Ferrari’s rotating ‘Macarena wing’.<\/p>\n
McLaren is the third team to bring their version of the ‘Macarena wing’, after Ferrari debuted it in the Sakhir Test in February. Houldey added \u201c<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
FP1 was topped by George Russell, who set a 16.363, to put himself two tenths ahead of Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. But there were immediately problems for Carlos Sainz, unable to restart his Williams in the pit lane, eventually being wheeled back to the garage by his mechanics before taking to the track just five minutes later. Verstappen was fourth fastest from F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli.<\/p>\n
FP2 saw Lando Norris edge out Russell, setting a 15.426, going just nine hundredths faster than Russell. The Mercedes split the two McLarens as he went four hundredths faster than Piastri. Hamilton was only able to finish ninth, the Ferrari driver complaining that “something’s wrong with the rear of the car” during the session, as Isack Hadjar, who missed FP1, completed the top ten<\/p>\n
FP3 was again topped by Russell with a 15.679, as he went two tenths faster than Piastri and Leclerc. The first representative time was set by Norris, one-tenth clear of Ferrari’s Leclerc as both used the soft tyre. Leclerc moved up to third to split the two McLaren drivers, with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth<\/p>\n
Qualifying, saw Russell beat Hamilton by six and a half hundredths of a second to secure pole position. The seven-time champion managed to split the Mercedes, denying Antonelli his seventh front row start of the season. Norris put his McLaren fourth as the world champion went two hundredths faster than the Red Bulls. But like Hamilton, the current world champion, was compromised on his first attempt when his teammate crashed and brought out the red flag in Q3.<\/p>\n
Hamilton took a dominant first victory and his eighth in Barcelona as he finished nineteen and a half seconds ahead of Russel. Hamilton took advantage of an alternative strategy to go longer in a race, which became about tyre strategy. Mercedes appeared to have no answer for Ferrari after the mid-race VSC, which allowed Hamilton to surge ahead and build an advantage over Russell.<\/p>\n
The first time since Watkins Glenn in 1968, it was an all-British podium, as the current world champion, Lando Norris, finished third just over four seconds behind Russell. Norris finished sixteen seconds ahead of Verstappen as the Red Bull managed to split the McLarens, finishing eighteen seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix has been declared a heat-hazard race by the FIA. It comes as much of Europe is under a heatwave, and the designation comes at any event where the temperature is forecasted to exceed 31C at any time the cars are on track.<\/p>\n
The ruling means drivers can use a mandated cooling kit that flows cooled liquid, such as glycol, through a system of pipes in a fireproof top worn under their overalls. While not mandatory but any driver who chooses not to use it has to carry 5kg of ballast in their car to ensure he does not have a competitive advantage.<\/p>\n
This weekend is the first race this year to be declared a heat hazard, amid a heatwave across Europe that is establishing record temperatures in many countries, including the UK.<\/p>\n
However, some drivers prefer not to use the cooling kit because of discomfort, and because there have been issues with the coolant running out before a grand prix is finished, in which case the liquid ends up at car temperature, which is considerably higher than ambient.<\/p>\n
Temperatures in the cockpit of an F1 car can be more than 40C, and drivers are wearing several layers of fireproof clothing in addition to a balaclava and helmet, so overheating is a serious concern.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, a high of thirty-four degrees air temperature is forecast with rain towards the end of the race window on Sunday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Round eight brings F1 to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix, the shortest and fastest circuits of the season. The big talking point since Lewis Hamilton\u2019s breakthrough win for Ferrari is whether he could challenge for the championship and whether Mercedes\u2019 reliability has opened the door for their former star driver.<\/p>\n
Since Montr\u00e9al, the seven-time champion has scored three of his best results since joining the team in January 2025, including his first Grand Prix win for the team, the feeling that the seven-time champion is back in the fight. But it still hard to know how strong Mercedes is and Ferrari\u2019s recent history of fading away during the season.<\/p>\n
Reliability. That is specifically regarding the Mercedes power unit battery, as it has caused Russell and Antonelli to retire at Montreal and Barcelona respectively, across the last three rounds. If Ferrari can keep Mercedes in sight over the next five weeks, this championship could be wide open.<\/p>\n
He just needs to prove it at the Red Bull Ring, which has historically been among his less favourable grounds \u2013 he won just two out of 14 races in Styria, a 14% success rate, down from 27% across all circuits<\/p>\n
The Red Bull Ring is an old-school circuit, despite overtaking being easier than at other circuits, there are risks, as this circuit is lined by grass and gravel. As always, we say that these types of circuits can lead to VSCs, safety cars and in qualifying red flags, but we see they deliver some great racing.<\/p>\n
Qualifying here often has one of the tightest sessions of the season, meaning that it could be even narrower margins when we get to Q1-Q2 and Q2-Q3, as well as eventually pole. Last season, just under a tenth was between pole and second in sprint qualifying.<\/p>\n
In the race, overtaking isn\u2019t that difficult but there can be things like safety cars and drivers making mistakes can lead to safety cars as this is a hybrid between a historic circuit with grass and gravel. This is means coupled with the short lap there could be a few surprises, but overtaking should be easier, but strategy can play an important role.<\/p>\n
McLaren could also be in the mix, in Miami, Lando Norris gave Antonelli a real run for his money in the Grand Prix itself in Florida. But since then, things haven\u2019t gone quite as smoothly for the defending champions, even if Norris did pick up a solid podium in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
On that occasion, McLaren had no response to Hamilton\u2019s pace, but Norris was at least able to keep the Mercedes drivers on their toes for much of the race. And now we head to a track that holds fond memories for the team, over the last four years this has been where they\u2019ve have over the last four years made their biggest step.<\/p>\n
Though others believe after a mixed start to the year, they might be dropping back. It\u2019s unlikely that McLaren will suddenly overturn that Barcelona deficit in Austria, but how it tries to close in on Mercedes and Ferrari will be an interesting development. Particularly as fourth-placed Red Bull is planning on bringing upgrades to its home grand prix.<\/p>\n
Since Barcelona, there has been quite a lot of track action, with a Pirelli tyre test taking place at the same circuit, while Yuki Tsunoda has also been racking up the miles for Red Bull in last year\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
An outing also took place in Jerez, as Haas ran McLaren\u2019s reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli for two days, with the Haas reserve Ryo Hirakawa also in attendance. The 2025 F2 champion has been impressing McLaren during his testing of the previous car (TPC) runs for the team, and Haas could have a vacancy or two in 2027, so the team says the point of the run was to \u201ctest and appraise\u201d Fornaroli.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ferrari is already plotting their second ADUO power unit update for 2026, with a new turbocharger expected to arrive after the August break as they seek to close the gap to Mercedes.<\/p>\n
Following the first ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) checkpoint post-Montreal, Ferrari has been granted the opportunity to make two engine developments this season.<\/p>\n
Its performance gap, measured by FIA technical inspectors, was found to exceed 4% compared with the Red Bull-Ford internal combustion engine. The FIA’s measurements suggest that Red Bull has the current benchmark power unit, although this is disputed by the team.<\/p>\n
Ferrari has already plotted a first round of modifications for Austria aimed at reducing the gap to Mercedes, which most observers (except the FIA) consider the true benchmark. The team have modified the combustion chamber through the use of a steel-alloy cylinder head. This allows engineers to pursue pressure and temperature levels that would be impossible to achieve with a traditional aluminium-alloy engine.<\/p>\n
The changes to the regulations in Miami effectively means there advantage with the smaller turbo has effectively been neutralised. The FIA\u2019s five-second pre-start procedure has allowed all manufacturers sufficient time to spool up their turbos for safety reasons and avoid stalled cars on the grid, which has worked against Ferrari.<\/p>\n
For Austria, Ferrari has doubled down on the ‘hot engine’ concept by running the cylinders at 110C (compared with the current 100C) during the combustion process.<\/p>\n
Engines can theoretically run more efficiently at high temperatures and, when combined with a Shell fuel possessing a higher calorific value, it allows more particles to be burned while producing fewer residual emissions. This increases the mechanical work of the engine, and thus boosts power.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen hopes Red Bull’s “new package” will help put the team in contention for a strong home performance at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. \u00a0Having failed to get off the starting grid in Monaco following a power unit failure, the Dutchman fought back to finish fourth in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
Red Bull are currently fourth but are fifty-two points behind McLaren, Ferrari and leaders Mercedes. This weekend is expected to be a fight between Mercedes and Ferrari, however Verstappen is confident some technical changes could just give Red Bull an extra edge around their home circuit.<\/p>\n
four-time world champion Verstappen wrote on his website, \u201cWe have a new package we are bringing, so it is exciting to see how much this could look to give us in lap time. Austria is of course a home Grand Prix for the team. It has been a great track for me in the past and we have had really good memories there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very interesting track and all of the corners are quite different, so it is really important to get a good balance out of the car. You need both the high speed and low speed performance, good traction and now, with how energy sensitive some tracks are, it is important to work to get on top of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cadillac has revealed it is bringing another \u201csubstantial upgrade package\u201d to this weekend\u2019s Austrian Grand Prix. The team has been mostly at the back since making its debut in Melbourne, but over the last few races has started making consistent progress throughout the season.<\/p>\n
This included an upgraded rear wing and exhaust in Monaco, followed by further rear wing and cooling improvements at Barcelona, where Sergio Perez qualified nearly two seconds down on the fastest Q1 time and outqualified the Aston Martins by just over a second. Cadillac is keeping up that pace going into the Red Bull Ring round, with Silverstone coming up next week.<\/p>\n
Team principal Graeme Lowdon said, \u201cThe races now come along in rapid succession, and meeting that logistical element while improving our competitive performance is one of the key challenges of this part of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are however, pleased to be able to bring another substantial upgrade package this weekend. With new sidepods and floor it\u2019s a significant amount of work and we hope that it will continue our trajectory of steadily catching up to the midfield.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lowdon added that the rate of development was very good, with everyone at the factory is going full speed to deliver new parts. Cadillac is hoping that these upgrades this weekend deliver another step.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The World Motor Sport Council has formally approved the move towards a 60\/40 power unit split over the next two years, as it makes two key safety changes for 2026.<\/p>\n
From next season, the sport will move to a 52-48 \u00a0split between combustion power and electric energy to further fine-tune the racing amid driver complaints, moving to a 60-40 split by 2028. However, to do this without major hardware changes the FIA will limit the reconnaissance laps at specific circuits like Monza, and reduce the race distance by one or two laps if required.<\/p>\n
F1 2027 pre-season testing has also been increased from three to four days “owing to the general complexity of the current generation of cars”.<\/p>\n
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said, \u201cThe FIA continues to oversee the evolution of the 2026 Regulations and work closely with all key stakeholders across the motorsport community. As with every major regulatory change, the process does not end when the cars first take to the track.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cContinuous dialogue and collaboration are essential to ensuring that the regulations meet the needs of the sport, its drivers, and its fans. Together we are exploring the future direction of the championship and considering how the sport can balance innovation, sustainability, performance and fan appeal in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the FIA banned drivers from using Boost Mode in wet conditions following driver feedback that the huge torque increase would pose a safety risk, with the 2026 cars already challenging to drive in the wet without the sudden power surge.<\/p>\n
The FIA has now made a further tweak partially reinstating Boost Mode, but only to fill in power as cars slow down along the straights without actually increasing output, which should further reduce closing speeds in low visibility.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack has responded to speculation that Fernando Alonso could part ways with the team at the end of the season and rejoin Alpine for a fourth time. Aston Martin is yet to score on merit, though Alonso was tenth thanks to the controversy surrounding pit lane speeding penalties in Monaco, which is subject to various appeals.<\/p>\n
However, a third option appears to be on the table, with Flavio Briatore reportedly keen on bringing Alonso back to Alpine, the team with which has won both his titles, and has raced for previously across three separate stints.<\/p>\n
Krack told Crash.net, \u201cIf you look back one or two seasons ago, we said clearly he’s here to stay. I think Fernando decided that around the summer break he will take a decision. And we’re happy. We’re happy with the drivers. They are in this with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso great credit to them. How they deal with it. I mean, we spoke about this many, many times, that the drivers are the most affected, the most exposed to this. And the way they handle it; hats off to the way they handle that.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The latest news and analysis behind the headlines ahead of this weekend\u2019s Austrian Grand Prix, looking at the biggest talking points going into this race at the Red Bull Ring<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16098,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2209],"tags":[2339,2368,198,2348,209,211,212,2366,2365,348,2325,390,616,621,623,707,709,814,849,877,2367,2252,1131,1283,1287,1290,1298,1341,1360,2369,1568,1637,2344,1642,1643,1843,1876,1924,2223,2031,2136,2210,2211],"class_list":["post-16099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-welcome-the-grand-prix","tag-2339","tag-aduo","tag-aston-martin","tag-aston-martin-honda","tag-austria","tag-austrian-gp","tag-austrian-grand-prix","tag-barcelona-catalunya-gp","tag-barcelona-catalunya-grand-prix","tag-cadillac","tag-cadillac-ferrari","tag-charles-leclerc","tag-engine-devlopment","tag-engine-regulations","tag-engine-upgrades","tag-fernando-alonso","tag-ferrari","tag-george-russell","tag-graeme-lowdon","tag-gunther-steiner","tag-heat-hazard","tag-kimi-antonelli","tag-lando-norris","tag-max-verstappen","tag-mclaren","tag-mclaren-mercedes","tag-mercedes","tag-mike-krack","tag-mohammed-ben-sulayem","tag-p","tag-power-units","tag-red-bull","tag-red-bull-ford","tag-red-bull-racing","tag-red-bull-ring","tag-lewis-hamilton","tag-spielberg","tag-styria","tag-talking-points","tag-toto-wolff","tag-weather","tag-welcome-to-the-grand-prix","tag-wttgp"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16099"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16102,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16099\/revisions\/16102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}