Hamilton Fifth, Beganovic Ninth in Austrian GP First Practice
Lewis Hamilton and Dino Beganovic posted fifth and ninth fastest times respectively in the first free practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
- 1'08"461
- 1'09"054
- 51
What Happened
In the first free practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Spielberg circuit, Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Lewis Hamilton and Dino Beganovic set the fifth and ninth fastest times. The two SF-26s began on Medium tyres, each completing 14 laps. Hamilton set a best time of 1'09"543 on Mediums, while Beganovic posted 1'09"871. Later, they switched to Softs, improving to 1'08"461 for Hamilton and 1'09"054 for Beganovic. Hamilton then ran a heavier fuel load on Mediums, while Beganovic continued on Softs. The session ended early due to a red flag from Sergio Perez stopping on track. Beganovic completed 26 laps, Hamilton 25.
1'08"461
On Soft tyres during the first free practice.
- Lewis Hamilton: 25 laps
- Dino Beganovic: 26 laps
Why this matters
The session gives an early indication of Ferrari's competitiveness ahead of qualifying and the race.
Terms in This Story
- Free practice
- Pre-race sessions where teams test setups and drivers familiarize with the circuit.
- Mediums/Softs
- Different tyre compounds; Softs provide more grip but wear faster, Mediums offer a balance.
- Red flag
- A signal that stops the session due to a hazard on track.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.