George Russell Tops Austrian GP First Practice as Alex Dunne Impresses

George Russell achieved the fastest time in the initial practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, closely followed by Max Verstappen. Irish teenager Alex Dunne also made a remarkable impression during his first appearance for McLaren.

Russell, the recent winner in Canada, finished just 0.065 seconds ahead of his competitor at Red Bull`s home circuit. He reportedly revealed that Mercedes is in discussions with Verstappen regarding his future.

Championship contender Oscar Piastri secured the third position. Alex Dunne, substituting for Lando Norris in this opening session, performed exceptionally well, claiming fourth place and finishing less than a quarter of a second behind pace-setter Russell.

Formula 1 rules stipulate that teams must allow a rookie driver to participate in at least four practice sessions throughout the season. McLaren took this opportunity to provide Dunne a chance to showcase his skills, and he certainly captured the attention of the paddock.

The 19-year-old Dunne is currently leading the Formula 2 championship. His participation marked the first time an Irish driver had competed in an F1 race weekend since Ralph Firman in 2003.

Expressing his delight over the team radio after the session, Dunne said, “I want to say a massive thank you. A little boy`s dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life.”

He also added, “Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car.”

Born on November 11, 2005, in Offaly, Dunne has progressed through karting and single-seater categories with strong results, including finishing as runner-up to Kimi Antonelli in Italian F4.

His performance in practice was deemed “impressive” by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, highlighting his quality as the current F2 championship leader.

Andrea Stella commented to 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 cautioned slightly about comparing lap times directly, noting, “I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times, because his came later on in the stint when the fuel was down.”

He concluded, “But I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself, and also I think a good session for McLaren.”

Lewis Hamilton experienced a gearbox issue midway through the session and finished in ninth place. Ferrari introduced a new floor component in Austria in an effort to close the performance gap to the front-running teams.

Ferrari also utilized a rookie driver, with Dino Beganovic participating in place of Charles Leclerc. Leclerc, along with Lando Norris, was expected to return for the second practice session later in the day.

Pierre Gasly of Alpine secured fifth place, while Gabriel Bortoleto for Sauber finished sixth. The compact timesheet, characteristic of the short Austrian circuit, suggested a potential opportunity for midfield teams to challenge for points.

Alex Albon from Williams and Carlos Sainz from Ferrari were seventh and eighth respectively. Lewis Hamilton driving for Mercedes and Isack Hadjar representing Racing Bulls completed the top 10.

Fernando Alonso had a significant spin at the final corner but avoided hitting the barriers, finishing 14th. The session demonstrated extreme competitiveness, with the top 19 drivers separated by just one second.

Austrian GP Practice One Timesheet