Oscar Piastri is the next F1 weatherforecaster to give us an update. The McLaren driver says there’s some rain around Turn Four, but his engineer replies it’s only light drops, so not to worry.
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Austria
There was a point where McLaren were thinking of dropping Alex Dunne but [former racing driver] Warren Hughes said to them if you look into the data, you can see that he is really talented and that’s really coming out this year. He’s been super impressive in F2 and that lap time. It is only first practice but it’s a very rare a driver gets into a grand prix practice session and laps that close to the regular race driver.
Proping up the board at the moment is Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion has said the focus, or at least one eye, is on the new regulations being introduced in 2026, so the chances of the Italian suddenly winning races are quite slim. He’s finally back out on track after a gearbox issues and his first lap on the softs takes him to ninth on the timesheets with a time of 1:06.099.
Over at Mercedes, his old team-mate George Russell says there are a few drops of rain lurking in the air…
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Austria
Red Bull have also brought upgrades this weekend, it’s on the floor edge. Max Verstappen didn’t say much at all at the press conference, he was worried about the FIA giving him a penalty point and getting a ban because he is only one point from a ban still.
To the Dutch media he did expand a bit more. He was basically saying these upgrades will define whether they can compete for the championship or not this year.
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
Hello, Alex Dunne. The teenager completes a fantastic lap in the McLaren and shoots up the order on the soft compound to fourth on the timesheets. His time is only 0.224 seconds away from George Russell’s best time, so great effort by the rookie.
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Austria
McLaren have brought a new front wing to Canada, which was a test item, that is here in Austria. They’ve also got new front suspension shrouds. The front wing is being back-to-backed this session to work out if it is an improvement or not.
Norris has continued with the geometry change, Piastri has preferred to stick with the old set-up.
Esteban Ocon is flying towards Turn One on a hot lap on the softs but there’s a bit too much speed in the Haas for the Frenchman to control, so he goes straight on to the run-off area. “Flat spot, front-left, I think,” Ocon tells his race engineer.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri is flow-vis’d up in the McLaren, the bright green paint gathering vital information on those Austria updates. The majority of the field are on the soft compound now, and the Australian is sitting in third spot, 0.155 seconds shy of George Russell’s quickest time. Max Verstappen is the middle man between the pair, with the Dutchman’s marker just 0.065s off the Mercedes of Russell.
Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI
Getty Images
Alex Dunne’s journey has been one of graft and hard work to reach this level.
His father, Noel, was a former racer in Ireland but Dunne’s career hasn’t been bankrolled by millionaires like some young racers.
There has been a lot of last-minute deals to go racing and limited testing, but his potential was spotted by McLaren, who signed him as a development driver last year.
With their support, Dunne has been able to race at the front and has not only been given this F1 chance on merit, but as a development opportunity for the future.
McLaren believe in the 19-year-old, despite having Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked down for the foreseeable future, and this is the latest step in an exciting journey.
Fernando Alonso is the lastest driver to take on the C5 soft compound but as the Spaniard reaches Turn 10, his Aston Martin is sent into a spin because of his cold tyres. “That was the worst out lap we can do,” Alonso tells his pit wall.
Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Hamilton back out so Ferrari hoping that that gearbox issue has been sorted because he is back out going around. The track is fairly busy with over three quarter of the grid out on track.
Alex Dunne is off the mark. The 19-year-old has been stuck in the garage but now McLaren release him for a proper run out, on hard tyres, to bank his first time of the session. The Irishman clocks a 1:07.196 to go 19th on the board.
Lando Norris is watching the rookie from the pit wall, but now he’s got wet pants, as team principal Andrea Stella has just dropped water all over him.
1. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:05.776 (soft)
2. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.241
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.354
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.568
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.713
Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporter at Red Bull Ring
Getting to work straight away [on Hamilton’s car] to try and fix whatever problem is hampering the Ferrari with the gearbox, bit of tinkering starting already.
This is not looking good for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton asks his engineer of there is a problem with the car. “Issue with the gearbox,” comes the reply. Meanwhile, rookie Dino Beganovic has to twiddle his thumbs in the garage, as the mechanics are working hard on his (Charles Leclerc’s) car.
At Mercedes, George Russell has bolted on the softs and the Briton goes back to the top spot, above Carlos Sainz, with a 1:05.776.
Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporter at Red Bull Ring
I’ve been watching Lewis Hamilton’s side of the garage, they’ve removed the aero rakes that were on his Ferrari. Hamilton has now left the pits.
Yesterday when he was asked about the upgrades, he said don’t expect too much to change.
He was keen to point out he’s more focussed on the changes taking place in the background, putting the foundations in place for them to have a good 2026 – that’s the mindset of the seven-time world champion.
Alex Albon was talking on Thursday about how Williams want to be top of the midfield, which they are, so that if a crazy race presents itself and a podium is there for the taking, it’s them who claims it. Albon’s team-mate Carlos Sainz is out on some mediums and shoots straight to the top of the timesheets with a 1:06.017.
Over at Red Bull, the second car continues to cause Yuki Tsunoda a mild headache. The Japanese driver suffers a lock-up at Turn Three on his latest run – Tsunoda is on the hard compound – and tells his engineer the brakes are “really poor”.
Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Working with your race engineer is such a special relationship, they’re on the end of the phone. They’re the ones that will be talking to you whether you have a problem, need advice or instructions. That relationship is important. If you’ve not quite gelled with the person that is your eyes and ears on the outside, then it can be quite difficult to make progress.
