• George Russell recorded the fastest lap in the first practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix.
• Max Verstappen finished second, just 0.065 seconds behind Russell.
• 19-year-old Alex Dunne impressed on his debut with McLaren, finishing fourth.

In the first practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, Mercedes driver George Russell topped the time charts with a lap time of one minute 05.542 seconds, narrowly edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.065 seconds. This achievement follows Russell's recent victory in Canada, showcasing a competitive edge in the lead-up to the race weekend, according to BBC and Reuters.

Making headlines was Irish driver Alex Dunne, who had an impressive debut with McLaren, finishing fourth after lapping only 0.069 seconds slower than his teammate Oscar Piastri, who placed third. The 19-year-old Dunne is leading the Formula Two championship and expressed his excitement post-session, stating, "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life," according to Channel News Asia.

Both McLaren and Red Bull implemented upgrades to their cars for this weekend's race. McLaren made adjustments to their front suspension and wing to enhance performance, while Red Bull introduced a new floor edge design. Other notable performances included Alpine's Pierre Gasly in fifth and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari in ninth, who struggled with a newly redesigned floor, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.