George Russell recorded the fastest time in the initial practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, with Irish talent Alex Dunne making a notable impression during his debut for McLaren.
Russell, fresh off his victory in Canada and having disclosed that Mercedes is discussing Max Verstappen`s future, narrowly edged out his competitor by 0.065 seconds on Red Bull’s home circuit.
Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, secured third place. Meanwhile, Dunne, stepping in for Lando Norris in this Austrian session, remarkably finished fourth, just a quarter of a second behind Russell.
Formula 1 regulations mandate teams to feature a rookie driver in at least four practice sessions each season. McLaren utilized this rule to give Dunne an opportunity, and he undoubtedly captured the attention of the racing community.
The 19-year-old Dunne, who currently leads the Formula 2 championship, is the first Irish driver to participate in an F1 Grand Prix weekend since Ralph Firman in 2003.
Following the session, Dunne conveyed his gratitude over the radio, stating, “I want to express immense thanks. A childhood dream has become a reality, and this is unequivocally the greatest day of my life.”
He added, “Thank you to everyone for enabling this, and special thanks to Lando for entrusting me with his car.”
Born in Offaly on November 11, 2005, Dunne progressed through karting and single-seater categories, notably securing second place behind Kimi Antonelli in Italian F4.
As the current F2 championship leader, he demonstrated his capabilities during what McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described as an `impressive` practice debut.
Insights from Bernie Collins on Alex Dunne
“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.”
Stella remarked, “Alex has been quite diligent and impressive. He also had the opportunity to demonstrate his speed, and it`s no surprise that he is a fast driver.”
She cautioned, “I think we need to be a bit careful when evaluating the lap times, as his fastest laps occurred later in the stint when fuel levels were lower.”
Nonetheless, she concluded, “But I believe it was an encouraging and impressive performance from Alex himself, and also a productive session for McLaren.”
Lewis Hamilton encountered a gearbox problem midway through the session, finishing ninth. Ferrari, aiming to close the gap to the leading teams, introduced a new floor for the Austrian event.
Ferrari also featured a rookie, with Dino Beganovic substituting for Charles Leclerc. Leclerc will return alongside Norris for the second practice session later on Friday.
Pierre Gasly of Alpine secured fifth place, while Sauber`s Gabriel Bortoleto finished sixth. The close competition and the short lap times in Austria suggest that midfield teams have a good opportunity to score points.
Alex Albon (Williams) secured seventh place, while Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) took eighth. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar completed the top 10.
Fernando Alonso experienced a significant spin at the last corner but managed to avoid impact, ultimately finishing 14th. Notably, the top 19 drivers were separated by less than a second.
Austrian Grand Prix 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 | Ferrari | +0.475 |
| 9) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +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 |
Austrian Grand Prix Weekend Schedule
Friday June 27
1:55 PM: F3 Qualifying
2:50 PM: F2 Qualifying
3:35 PM: Austrian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4:00 PM)
5:15 PM: The F1 Show
Saturday June 28
9:00 AM: F3 Sprint
11:15 AM: Austrian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11:30 AM)
1:10 PM: F2 Sprint
2:15 PM: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
3:00 PM: AUSTRIAN GP QUALIFYING
5:00 PM: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday June 29
7:25 AM: F3 Feature Race
8:55 AM: F2 Feature Race
10:40 AM: Porsche Supercup
12:30 PM: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up
2:00 PM: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
4:00 PM: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction
5:00 PM: Ted`s Notebook
