Russell leads Austrian GP first practice session ahead of Verstappen

George Russell leads the first free practice session of the Austrian GP at Red Bull Ring — continuing his momentum from Canadian GP victory. The Mercedes driver set a time of 1:05.542, narrowly leading Max Verstappen by 0.065 seconds.

Light rain and heavy traffic on the short Styrian mountain track prevented other drivers from claiming the top spot late in the session. World championship leader Oscar Piastri finished third.

Two rookie drivers impressed — Alex Dunne replacing Lando Norris at McLaren finished fourth, just 0.069 seconds behind Piastri, while Dino Beganovic stepped in for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.

“I want to say a massive thank you for making a little boy’s dream come true, this is definitely the best day of my life, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with this car,” Dunne said over team radio.

Several technical issues marked the session — Lewis Hamilton was hampered by gearbox problems finishing ninth, while Fernando Alonso spun at the final corner while on soft tires.