On Track

29 Jun 2025

The Debrief by Aramco: Austrian Grand Prix

Kicking off the double-header, we made our way to Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix. Get the thoughts of Lance, Fernando and our team following the weekend's action.

Beneath the Styrian mountains, our drivers finished the Austrian Grand Prix in P7 and P14.

Read on for full coverage of our weekend in Austria.

Sunday round-up and reaction

Ahead of the race, the Red Bull Ring track temperatures were over 50°C, the warmest of the weekend.
After an aborted start to the Austrian Grand Prix, the now 70-lap race got going, with Fernando starting from P11 and Lance from P16 – both on the Medium tyre.
A first-lap incident resulted in an early Safety Car. When the period ended, our duo restarted in P10 and P13.
Lance stayed out on his Mediums until the end of Lap 26, when he pitted for Hards. He made his second stop at the end of Lap 54 and returned to the track on Softs.
While most of the field were on two-stop strategies, Fernando opted for the one-stop. On Lap 34, he switched to Hards and continued until the chequered flag. Defending well from drivers behind, Fernando secured 6 points.

F. Alonso

FL: 1:09.935

P14

L. Stroll

FL: 1:09.214

#18 | Lance Stroll | Race

"We knew coming here it was always going to be a difficult weekend. We showed some early signs of decent pace in Free Practice but couldn't keep the positive momentum with the hotter temperatures over the rest of the weekend.

"It was always going to be challenging starting the race so far back today, but I also struggled with tyre degradation early on and we had to adapt our strategy because of that. We will have to look into it and use the coming days to prepare for Silverstone where we go again next week."

#14 | Fernando Alonso | Race

"After starting P11, I'm really happy to finish P7 today in Austria. Our one-stop strategy worked really well. I was unsure about it this morning because of the heat, but it paid off and the team made the right decision.

"I was able to use DRS throughout the race and I was a bit lucky in the final laps – one more lap would have been too much. It's great to end a tough weekend on a high, and the team's hunger is clear to see. Let's carry this momentum into Silverstone next week."

Mike Krack | Chief Trackside Officer

"A well-planned and executed one-stop strategy helped us secure seventh place this afternoon. Fernando managed the tyre plan perfectly and made the most of a good track position just behind Lawson. It was not an easy strategy to convert, but credit to Fernando and the team for making it work.

"Lance pushed hard and was involved in a few battles throughout the field, but he suffered with high tyre degradation and points were out of reach for him today. Our attention now turns to the British Grand Prix in just a few days' time. We will look to score more points in our home race."

Next up

There's no place like home. For the second half of the double-header, we're making our way back home to Silverstone for a race like no other. The British Grand Prix takes place 4-6 July.

Saturday

Both drivers began Free Practice Three with a single lap on the Medium and Hard compounds. They then pitted for fresh Mediums and focused on collecting information.
After switching to Softs for their final stints, Lance and Fernando finished FP3 in P8 and P12 respectively.
Later in the day, it was time for Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, where track temperatures were reaching up to 48°C.
Lance's session came to an unfortunate end in Q1.
A grass fire briefly interrupted Q2, but Fernando was straight out on track once the session resumed. Following this, he qualified P11.

#18 | Lance Stroll | Qualifying

"I was obviously hoping for more after we showed some early signs of decent pace in the Practice sessions, but the conditions changed ahead of Qualifying and we weren't as competitive.

"I think the hotter temperatures impacted us and the car was not coming alive as much in these conditions. I was struggling with grip and car balance, and I suspect it was due to the heat, but we will need to look at it in more detail. It's going to be challenging tomorrow, but we will see what we can do."

FP3

1:05.062

1:05.329

P16

#14 | Fernando Alonso | Qualifying

"I am quite happy with P11 today. We were very close to making Q3 and it gives us a good opportunity to score points tomorrow. It has been a tricky few sessions here so far and I haven't been completely comfortable behind the wheel.

"Tomorrow will be a tough race for everyone, especially with the hot conditions, so we will need to be clever and flexible with our strategy. If we get everything right, there is definitely a chance to move forward and fight for some points."

FP3

1:05.243

P12

1:05.197

P13

1:05.128

P11

Mike Krack | Chief Trackside Officer

"On this short lap we saw the entire field covered by less than a second. Both Fernando and Lance said the car was not easy to drive, with low grip, and the higher track temperatures appeared to impact our competitiveness.

"Fernando progressed to Q2 and was just a fraction away from making the top ten. We saw similar small margins for Lance who missed out on Q2 by five hundredths. Let's see what we can do tomorrow to try and compete for points. It's a track that usually delivers interesting racing, with good overtaking opportunities, and there are several strategy options to consider."

Friday

Rain fell on the track overnight, resulting in limited grip in the first of the weekend's Free Practice sessions.
Over the course of FP1, Fernando set 26 laps on the Hard tyre and five laps on Softs, while Lance began by gathering information on Mediums before pitting for Softs for the remainder of the session.
In FP2, Lance began on Hards and Fernando on Mediums. Both switched to Softs around the halfway mark before returning to the Hard and Medium compounds to conclude the session.
When the chequered flag fell in FP2, Lance and Fernando both classified inside the top ten – P4 and P9 respectively.

#18 | Lance Stroll | Free Practice

"It feels good to be back in Austria – it's a great track and I always enjoy coming back here so I'm looking forward to this weekend.

"We've seen some improvements in the car over the last few weeks and we'll try to do the best we can here. It's still early in the weekend for us to say where we're at compared to everyone else, but the car is feeling good so far and we got through our run plan for the day so we'll see tomorrow how it goes."

FP1

1:06.160

P13

FP2

1:05.022

#14 | Fernando Alonso | Free Practice

"I'm feeling better after the last few races. With the last two in the points, the car feels like it's coming alive again. It's still not quite in the right window, but we will see how we progress as we go into the weekend.

"It's really close out there, so we need to nail the lap in Qualifying tomorrow and make sure our race pace is strong too."

FP1

1:06.170

P14

FP2

1:05.457