Russell sets the pace during FP1 in Austria

George Russell set the pace for Mercedes in the opening Free Practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, continuing his strong form by topping the timesheets ahead of Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. The session saw two rookies debut: Alex Dunne, stepping into Lando Norris's McLaren, impressively finished fourth, while Dino Beganovic drove for Ferrari. Several teams brought upgrades, and the session had its moments; Verstappen reported issues with his Red Bull, and Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari faced a gearbox problem. Yellow flags briefly appeared for spins by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Despite light rain sprinkles, Russell maintained his lead, setting a swift 1m 05.542s lap.