#USGP FP1: @ScuderiaFerrari’s @Carlossainz55 fastest ahead of @Max33Verstappen. #F1

Sainz US GP FP1 – Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz topped the time-sheets in FP1 at the US GP ahead of newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen who was second for Red Bull and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton who completed the top three as four rookies made their FP1 debuts at the Circuit of the Americas.

Despite two attempts running with a fresh set of the faster softer rubber late into the hour-long session, two-time World Driver’s Champion Verstappen was unable to knock off the Spaniard.

Sainz posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:36.857 on the C4 red side-walled Pirelli PZero Softer compound and was 0.224 seconds quicker than Verstappen whilst Hamilton was a further 0.475 off the Ferrari driver as the Briton’s Mercedes W13 ran it’s final major update package of this campaign.

The Aston Martin and AlphaTauri pairings were the first to emerge, as Sebastian Vettel posted the early benchmark of a 1:42.625 as the initial tours were split between all three tyre allocations for the weekend.

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon was the quickest driver on the C3 yellow-marked medium tyres whilst Sainz set a 1:41.341 on the C4 softs before being topped by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who is hit with a five-grid-placed-penalty for taking on his fifth Internal Combustion Engine of the 2022 season.

However, the early proceedings was halted by a shunt from Alfa Romeo’s ex-driver Antonio Giovinazzi, who brought out the red flags after just seven minutes when the Italian whacked the barriers in the Haas VF-22 on his second flying lap whilst taking the FP1 running for regular Kevin Magnussen.

Through the high-speed left-right swing through turns five and six, Giovinazzi lost the rear of his VF-22 and spun backwards across the circuit before tangling with the wall. The Italian eventually got the car free and brought the Haas with it’s damaged front wing back to the pits.

An overheated clutch and a likely gearbox change meant Giovinazzi was unable to take part in the rest of the session, as Haas continues to evaluate who will partner Magnussen in the 2023 season.

After the four minute stoppage, Verstappen emerged by setting the time-sheets all purple on his initial hot-lap as the Red Bull driver jumped to P1 with a 1:38.272 on the softs.

Sainz struck back on a 1:37.462 at the mid-way point before Verstappen again came to the top before most of the field returned to the pits as the session came to a lull.

Vettel used that time to split the leading duo in second place as Sainz stopped for a damage check after losing some bodywork on his F1-75 racer when he clipped the kerbs in the opening sector.

As the final third drew closer, Hamilton got his F1 W13 racer – featuring a modified front and rear wing along with a revised floor – within 0.2 seconds of Verstappen.

With 16 minutes remaining, Sainz set the FP1 session topping time on his flyer with a 1:36.867 and was ahead of Verstappen by 0.224 seconds, as Hamilton finished opening practice third and a lap time effort of a 1:37.332.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, who had been decently strong in sector two top momentarily top the session with 20 minutes remaining on the clock, was demoted to fourth, but remained in-front of the second Red Bull RB18 entry of Perez who rounded out the top five.

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso, who held on after encountering a massive slide out of the Andretti Corner (Final Turn), was sixth and ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell who took seventh in the order, AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly who placed eighth and McLaren’s Lando Norris who came ninth in the classification.

The aforementioned Vettel completed the top ten for Aston Martin.

Alpine’s Ocon ended the session outside the top ten in 11th and ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu who was 12th.

Zhou is another driver who will take a five-grid-placed-penalty from where he qualifies after taking on a power-unit component change (fifth Internal Combustion Engine of the season).

Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon finished opening practice in 13th and in-front of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda who placed 14th in the classification and Haas F1 Team’s Mick Schumacher who came 15th on the time-sheets.

The FP1 debutants followed as Ferrari’s reserve and Formula 2 driver Robert Shwartzman filling in for Charles Leclerc was the fastest rookie in 16th and ahead of McLaren reserve Alex Palou (the 2021 IndyCar champion subbing for Daniel Ricciardo) who was 17th.

Alfa Romeo’s reserve and Formula 2 driver Theo Pourchaire (running for Valtteri Bottas) took 18th.

Williams Racing reserve and Formula 2 driver Logan Sargeant (in for Nicholas Latifi in FP1) ended the session 19th as the aforementioned Giovinazzi brought up the rear for Haas and 6.206 seconds off the pace.

You can see the full Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix 2022 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2022/races/1135/united-states/practice-1.html

#F1 @Aramco #UnitedStatesGP 2022 Preview. #USGP