George Russell of Mercedes set the fastest time in the first practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, narrowly beating Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.065 seconds. Russell, who has been in talks with Verstappen about a potential move to Mercedes next year, showcased his skill on the Red Bull Ring.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri secured the third fastest time, but the spotlight was on 19-year-old Alex Dunne, who made an impressive debut in Lando Norris' car. Dunne, currently leading the Formula 2 championship, is part of the McLaren young driver programme and was just 0.069 seconds behind Piastri.

Both McLaren and Red Bull have introduced upgrades for this race. McLaren has a new front suspension shaping aimed at enhancing the performance of their new front wing, first tested in Canada. Red Bull has introduced a new floor edge, while Ferrari has a completely redesigned floor, their first upgrade since Bahrain in April.

Pierre Gasly of Alpine was fifth fastest, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber, and Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. The session highlighted the competitive nature of Formula 1, with young talents like Dunne making their mark.