If you ever needed a reminder that Formula 1 is a sport where the script is written in pencil, not ink, look no further than the opening act of the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Free Practice 1 at the Red Bull Ring delivered a cocktail of redemption, heartbreak, and the kind of rookie magic that makes even the most jaded paddock veterans (myself included) sit up and take notice.
The Return of the Silver Arrow: Russell’s Statement
Let’s start at the top, where George Russell—fresh from his Canadian triumph—put Mercedes back on the FP1 summit for the first time this season. His 1:05.542 lap was not just a number; it was a statement. For a team that has spent much of 2025 in the shadow of McLaren and Red Bull, this was a much-needed shot of adrenaline.
Russell’s margin over Max Verstappen? A mere 0.065 seconds. In F1 terms, that’s the blink of an eye, or as we used to say in the days of manual gearboxes, “the time it takes to miss a shift and lose a championship.” Verstappen, the reigning world champion and local hero, was denied the top spot in front of his orange-clad faithful, but the Dutchman looked ominously comfortable—despite working with a substitute race engineer this weekend.
This is the best day of my life.Alex Dunne, McLaren rookie, over team radio
Table: 2025 Austrian Grand Prix FP1 Results
| Position | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:05.542 | |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.065 | |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.155 | |
| 4 | Alex Dunne | McLaren | +0.224 | |
| 5 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.238 | |
| 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +0.332 | |
| 7 | Alex Albon | Williams | +0.404 | |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.475 | |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.557 | |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.568 | |
| … | … | … | … | … |
| 18 | Dino Beganovic | Ferrari | +0.827 | |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +0.968 | |
| 20 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.196 |
Full results available at F1i.com
Rookie Revelations: Alex Dunne’s Irish Eyes Are Smiling
But the real story—the one that will be told in pubs from Dublin to Woking tonight—is the debut of Alex Dunne. The 19-year-old Irishman, Formula 2 championship leader and McLaren protégé, was handed Lando Norris’s car for FP1. In a session where rookies are usually expected to keep the car in one piece and stay out of the way, Dunne did the unthinkable: he finished fourth, just 0.224 seconds off Russell’s benchmark.
This wasn’t a fluke. Dunne was quick on both hard and soft tyres, kept his nose clean, and—crucially—was only a whisker behind his highly-rated teammate Oscar Piastri. For context, the last time an Irishman took part in an F1 weekend was Ralph Firman in 2003. Dunne’s performance was so assured that even the famously stoic McLaren pit wall was seen exchanging grins.
A little boy’s dream came true. This is the best day of my life.Alex Dunne, McLaren (team radio)
For a sport that eats its young, Dunne’s debut was a rare moment of unfiltered joy. If you want to relive the emotion, check out the session highlights on The Race.
Ferrari’s Friday Fiasco: When It Rains, It Pours
If Mercedes and McLaren were writing fairy tales, Ferrari was stuck in a Greek tragedy. Lewis Hamilton, still searching for his first win in red, suffered early gearbox gremlins that left him with the fewest laps of anyone. His eventual ninth place—over half a second off the pace—was a minor miracle given the circumstances.
On the other side of the garage, Ferrari Academy rookie Dino Beganovic was drafted in for Charles Leclerc. The Swede’s session was ruined by technical issues, leaving him 18th and short on valuable track time. For a team that arrived in Austria with a new floor and high hopes, this was a gut punch.
The last thing the Maranello-based outfit needs at this stage of the season is to destroy their chances of putting in valuable track time, whether that be for Leclerc, Hamilton or any rookies they field in the car.GPFans.com
Plenty of tests completed in the opening practice session ✅ pic.twitter.com/SQnn4eNOaW
It’s worth noting that Ferrari’s history at the Red Bull Ring is a patchwork of glory and disaster. From Michael Schumacher’s infamous team orders in 2002 to Sebastian Vettel’s engine failures, the Scuderia has seen it all. Today’s woes, however, felt particularly cruel.
Rain Clouds, Spinning Legends, and the Ghosts of FP1 Past
No Austrian GP would be complete without a bit of meteorological drama. As the session wore on, dark clouds gathered over the Styrian hills, threatening to turn the Red Bull Ring into a slip-and-slide. The rain held off—barely—but not before Fernando Alonso treated us to a vintage spin out of the final corner. The two-time champion, ever the showman, quipped over the radio: “That was the worst out lap we could do. Good to do it in FP1.”
Alonso’s spin was harmless, but it was a reminder that even the greats can get it wrong. And if you think FP1 is always a snooze, let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane. Since 2010, the Austrian GP has been a playground for rookie surprises and technical calamities. Paul di Resta, George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda, and Mick Schumacher all made headlines here as rookies. Mercedes, for their part, have topped FP1 seven times since 2014—usually a harbinger of a strong weekend, though not always (see: their double DNF in 2018).
The Numbers Game: History’s Echoes
Let’s not kid ourselves: FP1 is not the race. But history tells us that topping the first session at Spielberg is often a good omen. Of the seven times Mercedes led FP1 here since 2014, they converted four into wins and two into podiums. Only once did disaster strike—a double retirement in 2018 that still haunts Brackley.
As for rookies, the Red Bull Ring has become a rite of passage. Jack Aitken, Guanyu Zhou, and Callum Ilott all made their FP1 debuts here in recent years. Some, like Zhou, have gone on to full-time F1 careers. Others faded into the background. The lesson? In F1, opportunity knocks softly but carries a big stick.
The Human Element: Pressure, Dreams, and the Unforgiving Stopwatch
What makes days like today so compelling isn’t just the lap times—it’s the human stories behind them. Russell, fighting for his Mercedes future, delivers under pressure. Dunne, living out a childhood fantasy, outpaces half the grid. Hamilton, the sport’s elder statesman, battles gremlins and expectations in equal measure. And somewhere in the Ferrari garage, a rookie wonders if he’ll ever get a clean run.
If you want to see the raw emotion, check out the session wrap-up on RacingNews365.
