Kimi Antonelli leads the way after Friday practice, Ferrari unveils a new power unit, and Max Verstappen defends home turf in Austria
Kimi Antonelli has been Formula 1’s biggest story this season, and the championship leader added another chapter Friday by topping the second practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver crossed the line 0.237 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with a time of 1:07.014.
Piastri’s teammate at McLaren, Lando Norris, finished in third, while Max Verstappen from Red Bull was in fourth spot.
The driver that Antonelli is battling at the top of the F1 drivers’ standings, Lewis Hamilton – and the man he replaced at Mercedes – finished in the fifth slot.
Antonelli has 156 points, followed by Hamilton at 115, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell at 106, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari at 75, and Norris at 73.
Fearless under pressure, the youngster, who rarely makes costly mistakes, has already won five races through the opening seven rounds this season. So much for a rookie spending a season to learn the ropes.
Simply put, he’s become the benchmark in Formula 1 and a driver bettors can trust from week to week.
Practice Three is tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. EST, followed by Austrian Grand Prix qualifying at 10 a.m. EST tomorrow.
In F1 betting at Betway, Antonelli sits at -110 for Practice Three, followed by Russell at +450, Norris at +800, Piastri at +800, then Hamilton at +1000.
For qualifying, it’s Antonelli -150, Russell +400, Hamilton +900, Verstappen +900, then Leclerc at +1000.
For sports bettors, can Antonelli bounce back after having to retire last week at Barcelona-Catalunya (Hamilton won the race, 19.561 seconds ahead of Russell) due to engine problems? It certainly appears like he is, after topping Practice One today as well.
Bettors are now deciding whether today’s results mean a pole position or race win. Betway has Antonelli at +110 to win the race, scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. EST.
And what about Hamilton, after his first win with Ferrari last weekend? According to ESPN, Ferrari will run an updated power unit for this weekend, the first of its two permitted in-season ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) upgrades, an upgrade to the internal combustion engine, improving efficiency and extracting more power. They’re also running an updated Shell fuel optimized for the revised engine.
That extra power will benefit Hamilton and Leclerc at Ferrari at the 4.326-kilometre-long Red Bull Ring where there’s a heightened focus on engine performance with long full-throttle sessions and elevation in the idyllic Styrian hill (700 metres above sea level) – long straights and plenty of takeover opportunities.
Bettors will keep an eye on Practice Three tomorrow for this, even a small horsepower gain.
Verstappen owns a record five victories at Austrian Grand Prix. He battled braking and software issues today, meaning a podium finish is the better play.
