Lando Norris wasted no time making his mark at the Austrian Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap in Friday’s free practice. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, secured the second-fastest time, giving the team a strong one-two finish to start the weekend. Norris posted a best lap just 0.157 seconds quicker than the Australian, as the Woking-based squad signaled their intent early at the Red Bull Ring.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull settled for third, finishing 0.318 seconds behind Norris. Behind him, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), and George Russell (Mercedes) completed the top six spots.
This weekend has seen all three frontrunners—McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari—roll out fresh upgrades. McLaren arrived with a revised front suspension system built to synergize with a front wing first trialed at the Canadian Grand Prix.
After practice, Norris said the car had felt strong from the opening laps, but he remained cautious about the team’s advantage. “We’re off to a strong start, but I expect Max and Red Bull to catch up,” he noted.
Teams Unveil New Tech in Development Battle
Red Bull’s car featured a modified floor edge for this round, though Verstappen pointed out the team was still ironing out balance concerns. “The session wasn’t bad overall, but we’re struggling a bit with understeer, both in short stints and race pace,” said the Dutchman.
Ferrari also introduced their first significant aerodynamic change since April’s Bahrain GP, debuting a redesigned floor. Despite a new update, Lewis Hamilton, who finished the day in tenth place, stated that his car still isn’t competitive. “The car feels fine to drive, but we’re clearly off the pace,” said the seven-time world champion. “This update hasn’t given us the boost we were aiming for.” Hamilton also encountered gearbox issues earlier in the day.
Long-Run Pace Unclear Amid Tyre Variations
Teams used different tyre compounds during race simulation runs, making direct comparisons difficult. Kimi Antonelli, finished 11th for Mercedes, showed slightly stronger performance than Norris and Leclerc on medium tyres. Verstappen had the edge over Hamilton on softs, while Piastri opted for longer laps using the hard compound.
Even though Piastri topped the early timesheets, he shared Norris’s cautious outlook, noting, “We’re in a good spot, and the pace is promising, but Max is always lurking.” He’ll be a real contender,” the Australian stated.
Russell Cautious After Mixed Session
George Russell, who recently secured a victory in Canada, topped the first practice session. However, he noted that Mercedes’ performance declined in the afternoon. “The morning went better than we expected, but we struggled more in FP2—especially in the long runs. There’s work to do,” he admitted.
Teen Talent Dunne Shines on F1 Debut
19-year-old Alexander Dunne, the current Formula 2 championship leader, impressed in his maiden F1 outing. Driving in place of Norris during FP1, the young Irishman secured the fourth-fastest time—just 0.069 seconds shy of Piastri.
Dunne had recently tested McLaren’s 2023 car in Austin to prepare for his debut. “From the outset, he felt confident and the car handled superbly. He grew more comfortable and pleased with his performance with every lap.”
His debut earned comparisons to Lando Norris’ own first F1 practice run in 2018, when he also made headlines as a junior talent.
Qualifying Set for Intense Showdown
With qualifying scheduled for Saturday, McLaren may have drawn first blood, but the battle for pole remains wide open. Red Bull and Ferrari are expected to respond quickly, with all three top teams still adjusting their upgraded setups in a bid to find every tenth of a second.
