George Russell Tops Austrian GP Practice as Alex Dunne Shines in F1 Debut

George Russell of Mercedes dominated the initial practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, setting a benchmark lap time of one minute 05.542 seconds. This performance kept Max Verstappen from leading the session. Alex Dunne marked a successful Formula One debut with McLaren, capturing attention with his fourth-place finish.

Red Bull's champion driver, Verstappen, finished a close second, missing his regular race engineer this weekend. McLaren's Oscar Piastri followed in third, with Dunne narrowly behind, impressing as the first Irish F1 participant in over two decades. Dunne described the experience as a lifelong dream come true, expressing gratitude to his team.

The session highlighted competitive performances across the paddock, with all but one driver clocking within a second of Russell's time. Amidst this, Ferrari struggled with mechanical issues, impacting their session. Fernando Alonso provided excitement with a dramatic spin, while staying clear of obstacles.

(With inputs from agencies.)