Full Results FP1 | Russell proves championship contender with Verstappen hot on his heels in Austria

With teams bringing key upgrades to Austria this weekend, it marked the first real opportunity to see whether those changes would deliver a performance advantage — with particular attention on McLaren and Verstappen. Many teams, including Ferrari used aero rakes this session to test the performance of their changes.

Two rookies took to the track during this session: Dino Beganovic stepped into Leclerc’s Ferrari, while Alex Dunne took the wheel of Norris’ McLaren.

Ferrari endured a troubled session, with Leclerc’s car raised on stands as mechanics worked on an apparent issue. Meanwhile, over seven mechanics were seen inspecting the gearbox on Lewis Hamilton’s car, adding to the early drama at Ferrari.

George Russell topped the timesheets in the opening session, with Max Verstappen close behind in second. Oscar Piastri placed himself as third fastest, while rookie Alex Dunne delivered a standout performance to take fourth.