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Russell tops opening practice in Austria
- George Russell topped first practice for the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg with a lap time of 1:05.542 on June 27, 2025.
- Russell’s performance followed his recent victory in the Canadian Grand Prix and occurred amid McLaren giving track time to reserve driver Alex Dunne, who made his F1 debut due to Lando Norris sitting out the session.
- Alex Dunne, the 19-year-old Formula Two leader and first Irish driver in this F1 event since 2003, impressed by finishing fourth, only 0.069 seconds slower than championship leader Oscar Piastri who was third.
- Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari struggled with gearbox problems and finished ninth, while Norris was set to return for second practice after missing the first due to a collision in Canada two weeks ago.
- Russell’s pace at the Red Bull Ring signals momentum for Mercedes after his win in Canada, while Dunne’s debut indicates McLaren’s focus on developing young talent during the mid-season.
69 Articles
69 Articles
Russell tops opening practice in Austria GP
George Russell topped the times for Mercedes ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull in Friday's opening practice ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 5.542 seconds to outpace his Dutch rival by 0.065 seconds ahead of McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri and his temporary team-mate, reserve driver Alex Dunne, who delivered an impressive debut. The Irishman …
The two McLaren pilots Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri set the tone in training for the Austrian GP.
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'Best day of my life': Irish teen Alex Dunne shines on F1 practice debut for McLaren
His performance this Friday confirmed that McLaren has the best Formula 1 car. He was fourth in the first training, to 224 thousandths of George Russell, the fastest.
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