Austrian GP FP1: Ferrari off the pace, Dino Beganovic debuts, Lewis Hamilton hits trouble. Ferrari struggles in FP1 at the Austrian GP as Dino Beganovic makes his debut.

The chequered flag is out and the pit lane light turns red: FP1 ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix has come to an end. As usual, the times recorded in this initial session of the weekend should be taken with caution, due to imperfect track conditions and drivers still working to fully adapt to their cars. Below is the SUMMARY and the RESULTS of the session.

Two top drivers were absent from this first Free Practice session: Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. In line with the official FIA regulations, two young drivers took their place. In the Ferrari, we saw Sweden’s Dino Beganovic, while Alexander Dunne made his debut in the McLaren. Both currently compete in Formula 2.

First half hour
The first 30 minutes went by without any major surprises. Most teams used the time to help their drivers gain confidence with the Red Bull Ring layout and gather some valuable data. For instance, the two rookies ran with heavy rake equipment: Dino Beganovic’s car had sensors at the rear, while Alexander Dunne’s setup focused on the front. McLaren conducted a comparative test between the old and new front wing specifications.

Looking at the lap times, set on Medium and Hard tyres, the Mercedes-powered teams started strong. The top four positions alternated between the two Silver Arrows and the two Aston Martin cars of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. It was not the ideal start for Ferrari and Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton, who entered the track after 15 minutes, was forced to return to the garage after just one lap due to a gearbox issue. Max Verstappen, as often seen recently, faced several front-end problems: frequent mistakes and lock-ups, especially in Turn 3.

Second half hour
In the second half of FP1, everyone began to push harder, trying to find the limits of their cars. As expected, the first errors followed. Among the most notable was two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who lost the rear of his car at the exit of Turn 10 while preparing a flying lap after a cooldown. Yellow flags were briefly out, but Alonso managed to continue.

During the first qualifying simulation on soft tyres, the same two names topped the standings as in Canada: George Russell and Max Verstappen. Just over a tenth and a half behind came the two McLaren cars of Oscar Piastri and, surprisingly, Alexander Dunne, who closely followed the Australian. It was another tough session for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton—still affected by numerous issues—finishing in ninth.