Overview
- Thomas Preining, who started third, won Race 1 on Saturday at the Red Bull Ring after Maro Engel lost the lead when a left‑rear wheel change held up his pit stop.
- Lucas Auer finished second to seal an Austrian one‑two on home soil, with Engel taking third for Mercedes.
- Engel had taken pole with a 1:27.403 qualifying lap that bettered a 2023 benchmark despite a radio failure and pre‑session Balance of Performance changes.
- Late technical issues shaped the run to the flag, including Jules Gounon’s suspension failure and a BMW oil‑pressure problem for Kelvin van der Linde that led to a safety‑car finish.
- Stewards are reviewing whether Timo Glock correctly served a penalty lap for spinning his tyres during a pit stop, which could bring a further sanction.