Extreme heat dominated Friday's running at the Austrian Grand Prix, with track temperatures climbing to 50°C after the FIA issued a heat advisory ahead of the opening practice sessions.
Several teams used FP1 to evaluate upgrade packages and field rookie drivers, but the session was disrupted by a number of technical issues. Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris all lost valuable track time due to reliability problems.
FP2 brought further drama as Sergio Perez retired after experiencing two separate technical failures, while Valtteri Bottas returned to the garage after reporting smoke inside the cockpit. Despite the interruptions, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli maintained his impressive form by setting the fastest lap of the day with a 1:07.014, finishing ahead of Oscar Piastri.
