2024-03-07 15:06:10
Published on March 7, 2024 at 4:06 p.m.
Triple world champion Max Verstappen set the best time in the first free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez.
After a week once again marked by controversies, whether on the side of Red Bull (statements by Jos Verstappen, suspension of the employee who implicated Horner) or the president of the FIA (who would have favored Fernando Alonso in Saudi Saudi Arabia last year and is accused of having derailed the Las Vegas GP), the second round of the season is underway! The Saudi Arabian GP being held on Saturday due to Ramadan which will begin on Sunday, the first free practice sessions were held this Thursday, under the Jeddah sun (27°C in the air, 41°C on the track). And it was Max Verstappen who was the fastest, building on his victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix to open the season.
Two Red Bulls on the podium
The drivers first put on the hard tires, and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, 1’32″590), then Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 1’32″253), Sergio Perez (Red Bull, 1’32″072) and George Russell (Mercedes, 1’30″806) moved to the top of the timesheet in the first quarter of an hour, before Lando Norris (McLaren, 1’30″424) came to dislodge them on soft tires. Max Verstappen (Red Bull, 1’30″014), also wearing soft tires, took the lead in the standings after the half-hour session, before being overtaken again by Russell, by three thousandths. The three-time world champion was finally the first to go below the 1’30 mark (1’29″659) after 41 minutes of session, and no one managed to dislodge him afterwards.
Alonso complains about a plastic bag
In the end, he is ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) by 186 thousandths and his teammate Sergio Perez by 209. On the Alpine side, the trend is rather towards optimism after Bahrain. Esteban Ocon finished 13th and Pierre Gasly 17th, just over a second behind Verstappen. No major incident was to be deplored during this session, even if Lance Stroll (Williams) went a little too close to the wall and slightly damaged his front left tire, and if Charles Leclerc was disturbed by a plastic bag that came interfere with its front suspension. The second session takes place at 6:00 p.m. French time, at night.
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