#SpanishGP FP1 Report: @ValtteriBottas leads @MercedesAMGF1 one-two. #F1

Valtteri Bottas lead from Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the Spanish GP FP1 session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Bottas time-sheet topper was a 1:16.785 on the red C3 side-walled soft compounds and was 0.039 seconds quicker than team-mate Hamilton while Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was third and a further 0.939 seconds adrift of the Finn’s Spanish GP FP1 benchmark.

Free Practice 1 was a warm sunny 27 degrees with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc leading the initial running with the latter running a large aerodynamic rake on the rear of his SF1000 racer.

There was less action in the first twenty minutes of the hour and a half-long session, with Verstappen posting the first lap time -a 1:19.574 on the C1 white-branded hard tyres.

Moments later, Bottas claimed top-spot with a 1:18.573 on the C2 yellow-marked mediums, while Hamilton focused his initial run on the harder rubber.

Hamilton charged in on Bottas’ effort on the mediums and beat it on the hards, setting a 1:18.516, with Verstappen posting a time on the same tyre that was 0.5 off a few seconds later.

After the 45-minute mark, the Mercedes emerged on the C3 softs.

They used the softest compounds to purple the timing-sheets, with Bottas out-pacing Hamilton’s effort with a 1:16.785, which put the Finn quickest by 0.039 seconds.

The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel slotted in behind the Silver Arrows drivers with their soft tyre best times, before Verstappen completed his flyer on the soft rubber just after the hour and took third with a 1:17.724.

Leclerc and Vettel completed the top five with Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean taking sixth.

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez returned to the cockpit of his RP20 after sitting out the back-to-back Grands Prix in Silverstone due to COVID-19 and wound up seventh quickest and 1.686 seconds off of Bottas’ Spanish GP FP1 benchmark.

Some incidents on the Mexican’s return to action included travelling slowly through the final chicane alongside Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen and Perez’ asking his team for clarification over the radio on the green-lighting of the rear on George Russell’s Williams FW43 racer, which was driven in the session by reserve Roy Nissany.

The second Red Bull of Alexander Albon was eighth and 1.821 seconds adrift of Bottas’ Spanish GP FP1 benchmark time and ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen who took ninth and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll rounding out the top ten.

McLaren Racing duo Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were 11th and 13th respectively with Renault’s Esteban Ocon in 12th.

Scuderia AlphaTauri duo Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat were 14th and 17th respectively with Alfa Romeo Racing’s Antonio Giovinazzi (15th) and Raikkonen (16th) sandwiched in-between.

Renault F1 Team’s Daniel Ricciardo ended FP1 a low 18th and ahead of Williams Racing pairing Nicholas Latifi and Nissany who brought up the rear.

Nissany suffered a full 360 degree spin in Russell’s FW43 racer approaching the hairpin at turn ten after the 0-minute mark in the hour and a half session.

You can see the full Formula 1 Aramco Gran Premio De Espana (Spanish Grand Prix) 2020 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1050/spain/practice-1.html

#Formula1 Aramco Spanish Grand Prix 2020 Preview. #F1 #SpanishGP