Kimi Antonelli spies 'challenge' key to Mercedes' Austrian GP victory bid

Kimi Antonelli believes Mercedes' hopes of securing victory in the Austrian GP lie in the challenge of being able to control tyre temperatures in the European heatwave.

Europe is currently in the middle of a heatwave, which has triggered multiple 'red' weather warnings, with the Austrian GP itself being declared a heat hazard owing to the expected conditions.

The track temperature throughout Friday in Austria hit around 60 degrees Celsius, with the multiple heavy traction zones placing further stress on the tyres. 

Antonelli, who topped both sessions ahead of George Russell and Oscar Piastri, respectively, felt overcoming this challenge was key to securing a strong result. 

"It was a clean and productive day for us. From FP1 onwards, I've felt comfortable in the car, which gave us a good platform to work from as we built through the sessions," Antonelli explained.
 
"The hot conditions will continue to make things quite challenging, particularly in terms of tyre management. 

"Keeping the tyres in the right working window without overheating is important, so that's an area we'll continue to focus on.
 
"We've gathered a lot of useful information, but there's still work to do, and the picture will likely evolve overnight. 

"We'll analyse everything in detail and focus on making the right improvements ahead of qualifying."