George Russell set the pace in the initial practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen. Russell, who recently won in Canada and indicated that Mercedes is in discussions with Verstappen about his future, was just 0.065 seconds quicker than his competitor at Red Bull`s home track.
McLaren`s Oscar Piastri secured third place. Impressively, Irish teenager Alex Dunne, participating in his first F1 session replacing Lando Norris, took fourth position, only a quarter of a second behind Russell.
Formula 1 regulations require teams to run a rookie driver in at least four practice sessions throughout the season. McLaren used this opportunity to give the 19-year-old Dunne, the current Formula 2 championship leader, valuable track time. His performance drew significant positive attention within the paddock.
Dunne is the first Irish driver to take part in an F1 race weekend since Ralph Firman in 2003. Born in Offaly on November 11, 2005, Dunne has progressed through the junior ranks, finishing runner-up to Kimi Antonelli in Italian F4 before leading the F2 standings.
Following the session, Dunne shared his excitement over the team radio, stating, “A little boy`s dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life.” He also thanked the team and Lando Norris for the opportunity.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Dunne`s effort, telling reporters, “Alex has been quite diligent and impressive. And then he also had the chance to show some speed and, no surprise, he is a fast driver.” Stella added a note of caution about strictly comparing lap times due to fuel load variations but concluded it was an “encouraging and impressive” session for Dunne and the team.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Bernie Collins commented on Dunne`s performance:
“You just want him to have a good session and everything to go well. All credit to him. He`s looked so strong in F2 and done a fantastic job. I couldn`t be prouder of him.”
Elsewhere on the track, Lewis Hamilton experienced a gearbox issue and finished ninth. Ferrari debuted a new floor aiming to boost their performance and also ran rookie Dino Beganovic in place of Charles Leclerc.
The midfield teams showed competitive pace. Alpine`s Pierre Gasly was fifth and Sauber`s Gabriel Bortoleto sixth, highlighting the potential for tight battles and points opportunities given the Austrian track`s short lap time. Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were seventh and eighth, with Racing Bulls` Isack Hadjar rounding out the top 10.
Fernando Alonso had a large spin at the final corner but managed to avoid damage, finishing 14th. The session was remarkably close, with the top 19 drivers separated by just one second.
Austrian GP Practice One Timesheet
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) George Russell | Mercedes | 1:05.542 |
| 2) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.065 |
| 3) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.155 |
| 4) Alex Dunne | McLaren | +0.224 |
| 5) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.238 |
| 6) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +0.332 |
| 7) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.404 |
| 8) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.475 |
| 9) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.557 |
| 10) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.568 |
| 11) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.588 |
| 12) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +0.598 |
| 13) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.618 |
| 14) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.628 |
| 15) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.647 |
| 16) Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +0.704 |
| 17) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +0.720 |
| 18) Dino Beganovic | Ferrari | +0.827 |
| 19) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +0.968 |
| 20) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.196 |
Upcoming Austrian GP Schedule Highlights
Friday June 27
3.35pm: Austrian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show
Saturday June 28
11.15pm: Austrian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
2.15pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: AUSTRIAN GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday June 29
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up
2pm: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction
5pm: Ted`s Notebook
Gilbert Pendleton