Pole position and victory in last week's Styrian Grand Prix, and now fastest in first practice for the Austrian GP at the same track – Max Verstappen is at the very top of his game right now.
The Dutchman took top spot in FP1 at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, with Verstappen's title rival Lewis Hamilton only seventh quickest.
FP1 REPORT: Verstappen leads Ferraris in opening Austrian GP practice – with Hamilton in P7
Elsewhere Aston Martin's Lance Stroll had two spins, while Yuki Tsunoda also took a trip into the gravel trap, but rallied to end the session fifth quickest.
F2 championship leader Guanyu Zhou made his FP1 debut in the session, taking Fernando Alonso's Alpine as he got his first take of an official F1 weekend session and was 14th quickest. Ferrari test and reserve driver Callum Ilott stood in for Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo, and Roy Nissany ran in George Russell's Williams, the two finishing 16th and 18th respectively.
Hit play on the video above to see all the action from the first session of the weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
Next Up
Related Articles
Leclerc calls Ferrari’s focus shift to 2026 a ‘no-brainer’
10 ways to get your Formula 1 fix during the winter break
Formula 1 to return to Portugal in 2027 and 2028
‘I have achieved my dream, that little boy's dream’ – Norris
EXPLAINED: The key terms for F1’s new-for-2026 rules
Power RankingsWho did our judges rank as the best F1 driver of 2025?