Austrian GP: George Russell tops opening F1 practice
27th June 2025Mercedes’ George Russell topped the first hour of practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, pipping both Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Feature image credit: Creative Commons
Formula 1 is back in Europe at the iconic Red Bull Ring, for round 11 of the 2025 world championship, as the sport returns to complete the continent’s leg of races before and after the incoming summer break.
After the first hour, the Canadian Grand Prix race winner – last time out – Russell, continued his good form by topping the timing boards, on the hard compound tyres.
FP1 also featured new and returning faces as both McLaren and Ferrari opted to utilise an rookie for the session. Alex Dunne and Dino Beganovic took part in the first hour for McLaren and Ferrari, replacing Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc respectively.
How the first hour finished…
Russell was the fastest driver out on track ahead of Verstappen and, championship leader, Piastri, who were both on the medium compound tyres.
The first of two FP1 rookies, Dunne completed the session in fourth, 0.2 seconds off the pace of Russell with his fastest lap coming in on the soft compound tyres. He was accompanied by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who rounded out the top five.
Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto occupied sixth ahead of both Williams drivers Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz, respectively, as Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Racing Bulls Isack Hadjar completed the top 10, in ninth and 10th.
Russell’s teammate, Kimi Antonelli finished in 11th place, on the hard tyres, half a second behind the pace of the leading Mercedes. He was accompanied by Kick’s Nico Hulkenberg and both Aston Martins, Lance stroll and Fernando Alonso, in 12th, 13th, 14th.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson rounded out the top 15, in 15th.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto led the bottom five, in 16th, ahead of Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda and Ferrari’s FP1 rookie, Beganovic, in 17th and 18th. The Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman rounded out the 20-car field in 19th and 20th. The latter was the only driver to be over a second off Russell’s best time.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Max Verstappen frustrated in Austrian GP press conference
- FP1 Rookies: Who will be driving at Austrian GP
- Austrian GP: what are the timings for the F1 weekend?
- Austrian GP: thunderstorms expected ahead of F1 event
- Fred Vasseur says ‘too many mistakes’ were biggest issues at Canadian GP
- FIA reject Red Bull protest against George Russell
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
