George Russell tops charts in first practice for Austrian Grand Prix
Russell took his first win of the season last time out in Canada and the Mercedes driver raised hope of a second victory in as many races by topping the time charts at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
Russell saw off Max Verstappen by 0.065 seconds, with championship leader Oscar Piastri third. Lando Norris sat out the first running of the weekend as Ireland's Alex Dunne was handed his Formula One debut.
Dunne, 19, finished fourth, less than a tenth shy of Piastri, with Norris due to return to his cockpit for the second session later on Friday.
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton suffered a gearbox problem before ending the one-hour running in ninth, half-a-second adrift.
Russell won from pole position in Montreal to take just the fourth win of his career and move to 62 points behind championship leader Piastri.
And the Englishman, whose contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the season, looks set to be among the major players again this weekend after setting the early pace.
McLaren driver Lando Norris will be back in action for the second session (Denes Erdos/AP)
Although Verstappen finished second, his Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda ran off the track at turn three and finished only 17th of the 20 runners, seven tenths behind.
Norris trails Piastri by 22 points in the standings after his collision with his McLaren team-mate in Montreal.
Norris watched the opening session from the McLaren pit-wall, with Dunne becoming the first Irishman since Ralph Firman in 2003 to take part in an F1 event.
'A little boy's dream came true,' said McLaren development driver and Formula Two championship leader Dunne over the radio. 'This is the best day of my life.'
Norris will be back in action when the day's concluding session gets under way at 17:00 local time (16:00 BST).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
23 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Dan O'Reilly relishing chance to lead by example at Partick Thistle
Stuart Bannigan, Brian Graham and David Mitchell had over 700 appearances between them in red-and-yellow, and all three have departed Firhill this summer. It leaves 30-year-old O'Reilly as one of the seasoned veterans in the dressing room, and the centre-half is aware that there is more responsibility resting on his shoulders this term. Rather than shying away from it, though, it is a role the Irishman is relishing. "Sometimes I forget I'm one of the older boys now,' he said. 'There's no secret, we've lost Brian, Banzo and Mitch. That's a lot of experience and it's important other players step up. "We have to drive the standards. There's going to be a blend of youth and experience in the team. It's important the young boys have players around them that set the standards. "We definitely need to step up and I do see myself as one of those experienced heads. I try and lead by example on and off the pitch and hopefully that seeps into the younger guys. "There's going to be times when we're under pressure because of results and the likes of myself and Lee [Ashcroft] have to show the way." Ashcroft, in particular, will be expected to lead by example. The defender was yesterday named as the Jags' new skipper following Graham's move to Falkirk, while Bannigan - who had been at the club for 14 years - upped sticks and signed for Ayr United. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) "Lee is a great choice,' O'Reilly said. 'I think he is a model professional and a leader. "I've loved playing with him and you know what you're going to get from him all of the time. He drives standards and he's a great captain to have at the club. "Obviously Brian was captain before and it is an important responsibility. Lee will take that on board. "We have a nice balance playing together. We communicate well and I think we're similar in some ways but different in others. "In terms of the spine of the team, I think we work well together. You need to always fight for shirt." Bannigan's exit has understandably felt a little surreal for everyone connected to the club. A modern-day Thistle legend who was seen as part of the furniture at Firhill, there is an entire generation of Jags supporters who have never seen a Thistle team without the midfielder on the books. O'Reilly admits that turning up to training - Thistle's players returned for pre-season last week - has been a little strange without Bannigan's presence. "It's tough, especially when someone has been there for such a long time,' he explained. "He knows no different than Thistle. So it's probably as strange for us as it is for him. "That's football though. You just have to get on with it. He was great for us last year, but him leaving presents opportunities to other players here. "I'm excited to see other people stepping up and I've already seen people taking on other roles in the squad." O'Reilly may well find himself taking on a new role this term. Thistle are in need of a vice-captain, after all, and as an experienced and reliable head, it would come as little surprise if the centre-back was given the nod. "Maybe! We'll see what happens,' O'Reilly grinned when the proposition was put to him. 'If it did happen, I'd be delighted. But I do try and lead all the time anyway. "It would mean a lot to get the armband on. There might be times when Lee is unavailable through injury or suspension and if the chance comes, I would love it."
Scottish Sun
34 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Ryder Cup legend in furious argument over golf etiquette with respected TV reporter at US Senior Open
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PADRAIG HARRINGTON was caught in a furious argument with a TV reporter over golf etiquette. The heated row occurred midway through the US Senior Open on Friday at the Broadmoor Golf Club. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Padraig Harrington had a heated argument with Roger Maltbie Credit: X @brettforrestTV 3 The Irishman was irritated as he looked for a lost ball Credit: X @brettforrestTV Harrington, 53, was left fuming as NBC analyst Roger Maltbie after he lost his golf ball. The Ryder Cup legend appeared to be disgruntled with the former PGA star for not helping him search for it. A video caught the heated moment in which Harrington hit out at Maltbie's course etiquette. He said: "Never on a golf course stand and look at somebody looking for a golf ball." READ MORE IN SPORT I'VE GOT LEW Hamilton gives F1 rival lift on his private jet after he was booked on EasyJet Maltbie responded: That's a hard position to take there." They then stepped closer to each other as the argument as tensions continued to boil over. Harrington added: "You've played gold all your life. You understand." But Maltbie did not step down as he replied: "I'm not a player." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS The Irish star's caddie, Ronan Flood, tried to step in to calm the situation with little avail. Eventually, the arguing pair walked off from each other as Harrington was asked for an autograph. I played golf with Tiger Woods but he was a ghost behind the scenes - his romance with Vanessa Trump surprised me Fans had their own opinions on the row as they took to social media. One posted: "Just when you thought golf couldn't get any less interesting." A second wrote: "If the player can see him, he's in the wrong place." A third commented: "That is a weird flex for Maltbie." A fourth said: "The relationship between golf and old media is dying in front of our eyes." 3 Harrington still finished the day tied for the lead Credit: Getty A fifth joked: "Seeing mom and dad fight like this is insanely depressing." Another added: "What is going on?" Harrington's round was not affected by the rogue moment as he still managed to finish his round with an impressive 67. He reached six under par and was tied for the lead alongside Stewart Cink. Maltbie switched from pro golf to broadcasting back in 1991, having spent 20 years on the course. He won five tournaments during his time on the PGA Tour.
The Sun
34 minutes ago
- The Sun
Western Force vs British & Irish Lions live stream: How to watch for FREE
THE British and Irish Lions arrive in Australia for their first clash Down Under! Andy Farrell's side begin their tour of Australia against Western Force. 3 3 3 The Lions were handed a humbling defeat at the hands of Argentina in Dublin, with many of Farrell's squad unavailable for selection. A close encounter in Dublin was a sign of the individual talent in the side, but also a sign of a lack of cohesion between the players so far. Players such as Finn Russell and James Lowe will be returning from Premiership and URC final duty for their first games of the tour. SunSport can reveal how to watch the British and Irish Lions for FREE. How to watch British & Irish Lions for FREE The British and Irish Lions take on Western Force at 11am BST on Saturday, June 28. The game will be available for FREE on the BBC iPlayer with Welsh commentary. The clash will be shown with English commentary live on Sky Sports. Alternatively, follow along with SunSport's comprehensive blog of the action. Lions vs Western Force team news Andy Farrell made 13 changes to his side that lost to Argentina, with only Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne included, but both are playing in different positions. 20-year-old Henry Pollock is given a first start, with Dan Sheehan coming into to captain the side from hooker.
