Mercedes expect to have ‘fight on our hands’ in Austria

Mercedes enjoyed a competitive start to the Austrian Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli topping the second practice session while George Russell finished sixth. Despite their strong showing, the team remains cautious about the threat posed by McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari as the weekend progresses. Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord noted that the team expects their rivals to reveal more performance as the event unfolds. He emphasized that the gap seen on Friday might be misleading, as other teams may have been running conservatively or managing technical issues. Meanwhile, Russell admitted that the team's early pace may have been "flattered" by the struggles faced by other drivers, particularly highlighting McLaren's impressive speed in FP2.