QATAR GP – Max Verstappen sets the pace in FP1, four-tenths ahead of Pierre Gasly
Max Verstappen set the pace in the first practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix, going four-tenths faster than the Alpha Tauri of Pierre Gasly. The Red Bull driver set a 23.723 putting himself fastest in the afternoon session at the Losail International Circuit, however as the evening sets in lap times will continue to fall.
Verstappen was in majestic form in the Red Bull on the first-ever F1 session around a dusty circuit, enjoying a seamless start to his weekend on the track compared to Hamilton.
Valtteri Bottas put his Mercedes third fastest, over four and a half tenths behind Verstappen and three tenths ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. However the Mercedes were pushed down the order when Gasly made a late improvement to go three hundredths faster than Bottas.
Verstappen remains under investigation with the stewards yet to rule on the protest on his defensive driving against Hamilton at Interlagos on Sunday.
Throughout the session the seven times champion complained his Mercedes was down on power but was told by race engineer Peter Bonnington that it was not the case. The seven-time champion heads into the weekend fourteen-points behind Verstappen in the championship with three races to go.
The Alpha Tauri looked to have decent pace around the Losail circuit with Yuki Tsunoda going fifth fastest, nine-tenths off the pace. The Japanese driver putting himself eight-hundredths ahead of the two Ferrari’s, with Carlos Sainz going eight-hundredths ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
The session passed without major dramas with the drivers learning the circuit, which is hosting its first F1 race having been added to the calendar due to the pandemic. Times are expected to fall when the drivers head into the twilight FP2 session later today.
Ferrari once again appeared to have the momentum over McLaren in the battle for third in the constructor’s championship. Lando Norris only going tenth four-tenths behind Leclerc, while his teammate Daniel Ricciardo was eleventh.
Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon going eighth and ninth respectively, separated by half a hundredth of a second. Both drivers setting their fastest times on the medium tyre
Norris also struggled with track damage, before losing power after running over a kerb on the exit of Fifteen, before returning to the pits and returned to the track later in the session. While Mick Schumacher had an off and Lance Stroll was forced back to the garage with a hydraulic issue.
Sebastian Vettel put his Aston Martin twelfth fastest going almost eight hundredths faster than the Williams of Nicolas Latifi. The four-time champion did complain that he felt something loose by his right foot in the session, prompting the team to pit him.
Nicolas Latifi was thirteenth, with the two Alfa Romeo’s of Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen, splitting the two Williams with George Russell fifteenth. Russell eight tenths off the Canadian, and four hundredths behind Raikkonen.
Fernando Alonso lost track time with Alpine was forced to carry out work on his car, but the two times champion managed twenty-one laps on his way to seventeenth. Mick Schumacher was almost eight tenths behind in eighteenth, but the Haas driver made a mistake late in the session.
Lance Stroll spilt the two Haas’s the Canadian a hundredth slower than Schumacher, with Nikita Mazepin rounding out the field.