Max Verstappen topped the timesheets during the first, and only, practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, despite earlier bringing the hour to a brief pause when he stopped on track.
Amid a busy, traffic-filled session on track at the Red Bull Ring, Verstappen went fastest on a lap of 1m 05.685s, putting him 0.276s clear of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed in third.
FP1: Verstappen bounces back from stoppage to lead Piastri in Austrian GP practice
It marked an impressive turnaround for Verstappen after his Red Bull came to a halt on the main straight near the halfway point of the hour, with the world champion having reported an engine problem.
However, after the red flags were thrown and the Dutchman’s car was returned to the pits, he was soon able to rejoin when the action resumed, with the RB20 seemingly back to normal.
Catch the highlights from FP1 in Austria by clicking the video above ahead of Sprint Qualifying later today.
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