Oliver Goethe sets the pace in Spielberg Free Practice

Goethe Leads Tight Spielberg Session

MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe set the benchmark in Free Practice at Spielberg, delivering a 1:16.978 to finish fastest in a closely contested session. The German edged Nikola Tsolov by just 0.070s, with Alexander Dunne a further tenth back in third as the field completed its final preparations before Qualifying.

Tsolov responded on his following lap and cut the deficit significantly, but the Campos Racing driver remained second, closing to within 0.070s of Goethe rather than dislodging him from P1.

Red Flag Halts Momentum

The interruption came at a critical point in the session, breaking the rhythm just as several drivers appeared ready to improve. The green light returned with less than 25 minutes remaining, though teams waited before sending cars back out. With just under 20 minutes left, the field began to reappear, but immediate improvements were limited.

As Spielberg remains central to a busy Austrian racing weekend, readers can also follow broader Red Bull Ring context in our Austrian Grand Prix facts and stats preview.

Qualifying Set Up by Fine Margins

Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak briefly climbed from 11th to sixth, only to be pushed back to seventh when Noel León improved late on to take fourth. With several drivers shifting focus toward long-run pace, the timesheet then stabilised, leaving Goethe fastest from Tsolov and Dunne.

León ended the session fourth ahead of Câmara, Minì and Inthraphuvasak. Rafael Villagómez took eighth, Colton Herta was ninth, and Maini completed the top 10.

The drivers return for Qualifying later today at 15:55 local time, with Goethe carrying the early momentum — but with the margins this tight, pole position at the Red Bull Ring remains wide open.