Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

ABU DHABI GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Max Verstappen led the first free practice session of the last F1 weekend of 2018.

    The Dutch driver set a 1:38.491, to go ahead of team-mate, Ricciardo, who was close behind with a 1:38.945. 

    Valtteri Bottas was next in the order with a 1:39.452, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon, who completed the top 5 with a 1:40.102.

    Robert Kubica, who has been confirmed to drive for Williams full-time in 2019, was a participant in this session, filling in for Sergey Sirotkin, who has been left without a seat for next year. The Polish driver was last on the time-sheets with a 1:42.992.

    Antonio Giovinazzi, who also has a full-time seat next year with Sauber, got to drive for them in this session as well, in place of Ferrari-bound, Charles Leclerc. Giovinazzi's fastest time was 1:41.662, placing him in 16th.

    Fernando Alonso was presented with special livery for the weekend, as he prepares to leave Formula 1 for other motorsport options. He finished in 19th with a 1:42.313. Stoffel Vandoorne, who is also leaving McLaren and Formula 1, to race in Formula E, finished one space ahead of Alonso, in 18th with a 1:42.114.

    Marcus Ericsson, who will stay with Sauber as their 3rd driver, had a crash during the session near Turn 1. He hit the barriers but managed not to do too much damage to the car, as he was able to drive away and get back to the pits. He finished the session in 17th with a 1:41.928.

TIMES:

1. Max Verstappen - 1:38.491 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.945 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.452 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:39.543 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

5. Esteban Ocon - 1:40.102 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

6. Kevin Magnussen - 1:40.235 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.417 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

8. Sebastian Vettel - 1:40.453 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

9. Carlos Sainz - 1:40.588 / Renault-Renault / Spain

10. Romain Grosjean - 1:40.663 / Haas-Ferrari / France

11. Pierre Gasly - 1:40.671 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.023 / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Sergio Perez - 1:41.075 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

14. Brendon Hartley - 1:41.137 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

15. Lance Stroll - 1:41.493 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

16. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:41.662 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.928 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

18. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:42.114 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

19. Fernando Alonso - 1:42.313 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

20. Robert Kubica - 1:42.992 / Williams-Mercedes / Poland*

* - Notes drivers are participating in FP1 only

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Brazilian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BRAZILIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Max Verstappen topped the times of the first practice session of the Brazilian GP weekend. The Dutch driver set a 1:09.011, just ahead of Vettel in the Ferrari, who came remarkably close with a 1:09.060.

    Hamilton was next in the order, finishing with a 1:09.107. Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen finished 4th and 5th, respectively, completing the top 5.

    Antonio Giovinazzi was a part of the session as he replaced Ericsson at Sauber. The Italian driver, who joins the team full-time in 2019, finished in 13th with a 1:10.685. Leclerc, in the other Sauber, finished in 9th with a 1:10.346.

    Lando Norris was also in the session, in place of Fernando Alonso. The young F1 driver finished in 16th with a 1:11.013. Latifi was the last Friday driver to be in the session, taking over for Sergio Perez at Force India. Latifi was last with a 1:11.493.

    Bottas, Grosjean, Magnussen and Ocon were the other four to finish in the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Max Verstappen - 1:09.011 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:09.060 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:09.107 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:09.395 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:09.573 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:09.679 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:09.922 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:10.236 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Charles Leclerc - 1:10.346 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Esteban Ocon - 1:10.361 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

11. Carlos Sainz - 1:10.662 / Renault-Renault / Spain

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:10.679 / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:10.685 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

14. Lance Stroll - 1:10.799 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

15. Pierre Gasly - 1:10.934 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

16. Lando Norris - 1:11.013 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

17. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:11.037 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

18. Brendon Hartley - 1:11.176 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

19. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:11.452 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

20. Nicholas Latifi - 1:11.493 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

* - Notes drivers participating in FP1 only

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Mexican GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

MEXICAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Max Verstappen topped the time-sheets in the first practice session of the Mexican GP weekend. 

    The young Dutch driver set a fastest time of 1:16.656, ahead of his Australian team-mate, Ricciardo, who set a 1:17.139.

    In a twist of results, Mercedes, nor Ferrari were next on the list. Instead it was the Renault duo with Carlos Sainz taking the third spot with a 1:17.926.

    Hulkenberg was fourth with a 1:18.028, ahead of Lewis Hamilton who completed the top 5 with a 1:18.075.

    Antonio Giovinazzi, who will have a full-time race seat in 2019 with Sauber, stepped into the drivers seat in place of Leclerc for the session. The Italian driver set a 1:19.34, putting him in 12th, just 2 spaces ahead of Ericsson in the other Sauber.

    Lando Norris took part in the session as well, replacing Fernando Alonso for the hour and a half. The young F2 driver was 15th fastest with a 1:19.646.

    Also competing in the session was Nicholas Latifi, current DAMS driver in F2. He replaced Esteban Ocon and finished in 10th with a 1:19.078, just ahead of home town hero, Sergio Perez, who was 11th with a 1:19.124.

    The only driver to not get a decent amount of running was Pierre Gasly, who ended up stuck in the garage while the team switched out his power unit. The Frenchman only managed 2 laps and was unable to set a time.

TIMES:

1. Max Verstappen - 1:16.656 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:17.139 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
3. Carlos Sainz - 1:17.926 / Renault-Renault / Spain
4. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:18.028 / Renault-Renault / Germany
5. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.075 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:18.322 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:18.746 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
8. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:18.936 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
9. Brendon Hartley - 1:19.024 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
10. Nicholas Latifi - 1:19.078 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Canada*
11. Sergio Perez - 1:19.124 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
12. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:19.134 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*
13. Romain Grosjean - 1:19.276 / Haas-Ferrari / France
14. Marcus Ericsson - 1:19.312 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
15. Lando Norris - 1:19.646 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*
16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:19.716 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
17. Kevin Magnussen - 1:19.853 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:19.899 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
19. Lance Stroll - 1:20.142 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
20. Pierre Gasly - NO TIME SET / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

* - Participating in FP1 only

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US GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

US GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton topped the first free practice session of the weekend in the wet conditions at COTA.

    Hamilton's quickest lap was a 1:47.502. He has the possibility of claiming the Championship title on Sunday, although things could go Vettel's way this time around.

    Bottas was close behind with a 1:48.806, while the Red Bull duo of Verstappen and Ricciardo were 3rd and 4th respectively.

    Sebastian Vettel came 5th with a 1:49.489.

    Lando Norris filled in for Stoffel Vandoorne and finished the session in 12th with a 1:51.232.

    Sean Gelael was also in the session, driving in place of Hartley at Toro Rosso. Gelael was last on the charts with a 1:52.625

    Nicholas Latifi was supposed to run for Force India but the team opted to run Ocon instead and decided to give Latifi the wheel in Abu Dhabi.

    Red Flags came out after Charles Leclerc lost his Sauber in the grass and then drove through the gravel to rejoin the track. Bits of the gravel ended up spread out on the circuit, causing the session to be stopped.

    Sebastian Vettel ended up with a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for not slowing sufficiently under the red flag conditions.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:47.502 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:48.806 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
3. Max Verstappen - 1:48.847 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:49.326 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:49.489 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:49.928 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
7. Carlos Sainz - 1:50.665 / Renault-Renault / Spain
8. Romain Grosjean - 1:50.821 / Haas-Ferrari / France
9. Charles Leclerc - 1:50.961 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
10. Marcus Ericsson - 1:51.016 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
11. Fernando Alonso - 1:51.036 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
12. Lando Norris - 1:51.232 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*
13. Pierre Gasly - 1:51.234 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
14. Sergio Perez - 1:51.459 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
15. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:51.589 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
16. Kevin Magnussen - 1:51.614 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
17. Esteban Ocon - 1:51.655 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
18. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:51.717 / Renault-Renault / Germany
19. Lance Stroll - 1:51.896 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
20. Sean Gelael - 1:52.625 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / Indonesia*

* - Notes driving in FP1 only

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Japanese GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

JAPANESE GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton was the quickest of Free Practice 1 as the Japanese GP weekend got off to a damp start.

    Hamilton set a 1:28.691, just ahead of team-mate, Bottas, who put in a 1:29137.

    Daniel Ricciardo was next on the list, followed by the Ferrari duo of Raikkonen and Vettel, respectively.

    Lando Norris filled in for Stoffel Vandoorne in the session. He finished down in 20th, but got good running in for the team. His quickest time was a :32.683.

    Fernando Alonso took a trip through the dirt after losing control of his McLaren. No real damage done to the car and he finished just 2 spaces ahead of Norris, in 18th, with a 1:32.034.

    Both Sauber drivers ended the session in the top 10, with Ferrari-bound, Charles Leclerc in 9th with a 1:30.929 and Ericsson in 10th with a 1:31.073.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:28.691 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:29.137 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:29.373 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:29.627 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:29.685 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

6. Max Verstappen - 1:29.841 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

7. Esteban Ocon - 1:30.591 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

8. Romain Grosjean - 1:30.814 / Haas-Ferrari / France

9. Charles Leclerc - 1:30.929 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Marcus Ericsson - 1:31.073 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

11. Pierre Gasly - 1:31.073 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

12. Carlos Sainz - 1:31.100 / Renault-Renault / Spain

13. Sergio Perez - 1:31.272 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

14. Kevin Magnussen - 1:31.274 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

15. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:31.418 / Renault-Renault / Germany

16. Lance Stroll - 1:31.508 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

17. Brendon Hartley - 1:31.908 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

18. Fernando Alonso - 1:32.034 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:32.513 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

20. Lando Norris - 1:32.683 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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Russian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    The first free practice session of the Russian GP weekend, saw Vettel take the top time with a 1:34.488.

    Vettel was just ahead of Max Verstappen, who came 2nd on the time-sheets with a 1:34.538. Hamilton was 3rd quickest, ahead of Bottas and Ricciardo who completed the top 5.

    Daniel Ricciardo suffered from mechanical woes during the session and the team even opted to change the floor of his car. His quickest time of the session was a 1:35.524.

    There were 4 reserve drivers in the session and 2 of them have already signed a contract for next year to be in the 2019 Championship. 

    The first driver in the order was Antonio Giovinazzi, who just recently was announced to partner Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber in 2019. He replaces Marcus Ericsson, who will stay on at the team as reserve/3rd driver. Giovinazzi finished 10th in the session with a 1:36.712.

    Lando Norris replaced Fernando Alonso, while next year he replaces Stoffel Vandoorne full time at McLaren. The young Formula 2 driver, finished in 13th with a quickest time of 1:37.022.

    Artem Markelov filled in for Carlos Sainz at Renault for the session but it's unknown if the Russian Formula 2 driver will be in F1 next year since Renault have already confirmed their 2019 line-up, consisting of Hulkenberg and Ricciardo. There's a chance he could take a seat at Williams, but with Vandoorne and Ocon needing seats, it's not a sure thing. Markelov finished in 15th with a 1:37.183 while Hulkenberg, despite having mechanical issues toward the end of the session, finished in 9th with a 1:36.274.

    The last reserve running in the session was Nicholas Latifi, replacing Perez at Force India. Even though it's looking more and more likely that Lance Stroll will take over for Ocon in 2019, it's not yet set in stone. Latifi has already done multiple practice session with Force India this year and currently drives for DAMS in Formula 2. He finished the session in 17th with a 1:37.206.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:34.488 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

2. Max Verstappen - 1:34.538 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34.818 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:34.999 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:35.524 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

6. Esteban Ocon - 1:35.663 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:35.696 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:36.196 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36.274 / Renault-Renault / Germany

10. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:36.712 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

11. Romain Grosjean - 1:36.816 / Haas-Ferrari / France

12. Pierre Gasly - 1:36.944 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

13. Lando Norris - 1:37.022 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

14. Charles Leclerc - 1:37.054 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

15. Artem Markelov - 1:37.183 / Renault-Renault / Russia*

16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:37.187 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

17. Nicholas Latifi - 1:37.206 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:37.225 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

19. Brendon Hartley - 1:37.944 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

20. Lance Stroll - 1:39.137 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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Singapore GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

SINGAPORE GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES 

    It was 1-2 finish on the time-sheets for Red Bull in the first practice session of the Singapore GP weekend. 

    Daniel Ricciardo took the top spot with a fastest time of 1:39.711. While Ricciardo is leaving the Austrian team at the end of the year, it's clear he's still giving his all.

    Max Verstappen was close behind in 2nd with a 1:39.912. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel took 3rd, ahead of team-mate, Raikkonen and Nico Hulkenberg, who had flying times in the Renault.

    Some drivers were caught out by Marina Bay's tight corners. Stroll went for a spin and Charles Leclerc, who is freshly signed to Ferrari, had a minor crash at the very end of the session, leaving plenty of work for the Sauber mechanics.

    Mercedes seemed to be having a tough start to the weekend as neither driver finished in the top 5. Hamilton was close however, in 6th with a 1:41.232. Bottas was a bit further down in 8th with a 1:41.429.

    Esteban Ocon, who still doesn't have a seat for next season, finished in 15th, while team-mate, Perez was a few places higher up in 12th. The most likely replacement for Ocon at Force India is Lance Stroll, considering his father does own the team, which has since been re-branded as Racing Point Force India.

    Stoffel Vandoorne, who is also searching for answers to his future, was last in the times, with a 1:45.160. Fernando Alonso managed 14th with a 1:42.630.

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.711 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
2. Max Verstappen - 1:39.912 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.997 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.486 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.105 / Renault-Renault / Germany
6. Lewis Hamilton - 1:41.232 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
7. Carlos Sainz - 1:41.329 / Renault-Renault / Spain
8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:41.429 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
9. Charles Leclerc - 1:42.035 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
10. Romain Grosjean - 1:42.108 / Haas-Ferrari / France
11. Marcus Ericsson - 1:42.408 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
12. Sergio Perez - 1:42.412 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
13. Kevin Magnussen - 1:42.452 / Haas-Ferrari / Haas
14. Fernando Alonso - 1:42.630 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
15. Esteban Ocon - 1:43.177 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
16. Pierre Gasly - 1:43.240 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
17. Brendon Hartley - 1:43.485 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
18. Lance Stroll - 1:43.849 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:44.036 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:45.160 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

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Italian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

ITALIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    As another race weekend begins, it was Sergio Perez who topped a rainy Free Practice 1 in Italy. 

    Perez, who has announced he has signed a contract for 2019, but hasn't yet said where, took the top spot in the session with a 1:34.000.

    Kimi Raikkonen was close behind in second with a 1:34.550, while Perez's team-mate, Ocon, finished in 3rd with a 1:34.593. Ocon's future is currently in doubt as it's looking more likely that Lance Stroll may take over his seat and possibly before this season even ends.

    Brendon Hartley, who is also facing an uncertain future, came 4th on the time-sheets. The Kiwi put in a 1:35.024. Daniel Ricciardo, who faced some mechanical issues early on in the session, rounded up the top 5.

    F2 driver, Lando Norris, was granted another free practice session for McLaren. This time around he took over for Stoffel Vandoorne. It was a rough session for the young British driver though as he finished last in 20th with a 1:38.282.

    It was a good session for Toro Rosso. Not only was Hartley 4th, but Gasly wasn't far behind as he finished in 6th with a 1:35.438.

    Mercedes was unusually further down in the times and not up in front like most sessions. Bottas was 10th and Hamilton 11th. Even further down was Sebastian Vettel, who finished in 17th with a 1:37.867.

    Verstappen, Sainz and Hulkenberg also finished in the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Sergio Perez - 1:34.000 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:34.550 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
3. Esteban Ocon - 1:34.593 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
4. Brendon Hartley - 1:35.024 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:35.207 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
6. Pierre Gasly - 1:35.438 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
7. Max Verstappen - 1:35.665 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
8. Carlos Sainz - 1:35.995 / Renault-Renault / Spain
9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36.107 / Renault-Renault / Germany
10. Valtteri Bottas - 1:36.238 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
11. Lewis Hamilton - 1:36.546 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany
12. Charles Leclerc - 1:36.648 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
13. Kevin Magnussen - 1:37.066 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
14. Fernando Alonso - 1:37.426 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
15. Romain Grosjean - 1:37.683 / Haas-Ferrari / France
16. Marcus Ericsson - 1:37.790 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
17. Sebastian Vettel - 1:37.867 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:37.929 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
19. Lance Stroll - 1:38.253 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
20. Lando Norris - 1:38.282 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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Belgian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BELGIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Sebastian Vettel topped the first free practice session of the weekend for Ferrari, setting a 1:44.358. 

    Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were close behind in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

    Vettel's team-mate, Raikkonen, finished in 4th with a 1:44.718. Valtteri Bottas completed the top 5 with a 1:44.724.

    Daniel Ricciardo, who suffered from mechanical issues during the session, still managed to finish in 6th with a 1:45.558.

    Both Mercedes drivers are taking new engine components and Bottas, who has gone over his allowed limit of components, will start the race from the back, along with Hulkenberg, who has also gone over his allowed number of components.

    There was a bit of spotty rain throughout the session, but it didn't phase Lando Norris, who got to drive the McLaren in place of Fernando Alonso, who leaves the sport at the end of the season. Norris, who currently competes in Formula 2 with the Carlin team, put in a 1:47.364 to finish 17th. Vandoorne, who suffered from brake problems in the session, finished last in 20th with a 1:47.452.

    Force India has undergone a name change as a result of new ownership and has re-entered the sport as Racing Point Force India. The team will lose all their Constructor points but Perez and Ocon will be able to keep their points in the Drivers Championship. Perez, who is looking likely to stay with the team in 2019, finished in 9th with a 1:46.169. Team-mate, Ocon, who may be replaced by Lance Stroll, finished a couple of spaces ahead in 7th with a 1:45.786.

TIMES: 

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:44.358 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
2. Max Verstappen - 1:44.509 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:44.676 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:44.718 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:44.724 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:45.558 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
7. Esteban Ocon - 1:45.786 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:45.951 / Renault-Renault / Germany
9. Sergio Perez - 1:46.169 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
10. Carlos Sainz - 1:46.210 / Renault-Renault / Spain
11. Pierre Gasly - 1:46.300 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
12. Romain Grosjean - 1:46.387 / Haas-Ferrari / France
13. Charles Leclerc - 1:46.554 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
14. Marcus Ericsson - 1:46.557 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
15. Brendon Hartley - 1:46.932 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
16. Lance Stroll - 1:46.965 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
17. Kevin Magnussen - 1:47.012 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
18. Lando Norris - 1:47.364 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*
19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:47.367 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:47.452 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Hungarian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

HUNGARIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Daniel Ricciardo topped the first practice session of the Hungarian GP weekend, setting a 1:17.613.

    Ricciardo was just ahead of Vettel in the Ferrari, who had a quickest time of 1:17.692. Verstappen came third while Raikkonen and Hamilton completed the top 5.

    Hamilton's team-mate, Bottas, was just outside of the top 5 in 6th with a 1:18.470. 

    Both Renault and Haas drivers were the last 4 in the top 10. Grosjean in 7th while Magnussen finished in 10th with a 1:19.187. Hulkenberg and Sainz were 8th and 9th respectively. 

    Hulkenberg experienced mechanical issues during the session and his car stopped on track. It was then taken to the garage, where the team gloved up to prevent being electrocuted in case it was an ERS issue. 

    Finishing last was Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson, who set a 1:20.697. Team-mate, Charles Leclerc sat out the session while Antonio Giovinazzi had a turn in his car. He finished in 18th, just ahead of Sergey Sirotkin.

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:17.613 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:17.692 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
3. Max Verstappen - 1:17.701 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4.  Kimi Raikkonen - 1:17.948 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.036 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:18.470 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
7. Romain Grosjean - 1:18.975 / Haas-Ferrari / France
8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:19.025 / Renault-Renault / Germany
9. Carlos Sainz - 1:19.128 / Renault-Renault / Spain
10. Kevin Magnussen - 1:19.187 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
11. Pierre Gasly - 1:19.352 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
12. Fernando Alonso - 1:19.690 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
13. Brendon Hartley - 1:19.841 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
14. Lance Stroll - 1:20.012 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
15. Esteban Ocon - 1:20.065 / Force India-Mercedes / France
16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:20.151 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
17. Sergio Perez - 1:20.159 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
18. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:20.293 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*
19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:20.307 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:20.697 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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German GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

GERMAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    After a small break following the intense triple-header, it's back to work for the teams. The first practice session of the German Grand Prix weekend saw Daniel Ricciardo topping the time-sheets.

    The Red Bull driver set a 1:13.525, while Lewis Hamilton finished the session in 2nd, ahead of Ricciardo's team-mate, Max Verstappen, who was 3rd with a 1:13.714.

    Home town hero, Sebastian Vettel came fourth in the order while Valtteri Bottas completed the top 5. 

    Bottas, who was recently confirmed to stay at Mercedes for the 2019 season with an extra 1-year-option, set a 1:13.903. Lewis Hamilton was also confirmed at the team through 2020.

    Vettel's current team-mate, Raikkonen, finished behind them in 6th with a 1:14.267.

    Charles Leclerc, who is looking more and more likely to be wearing red next season, finished in 9th with a 1:15.097. His usual team-mate, Ericsson, sat out the session for Antonio Giovinazzi, who is hoping for a full-time seat next year, possibly with the Swiss team. 

    Giovinazzi finished down in 19th with a 1:16.136. During the session, the engine cover flew off of his car and landed on the circuit, confining him to the garage for quite some time.

    Also driving in FP1 was Nicholas Latifi, who took over for Esteban Ocon at Force India. Ocon has been linked to a potential drive with Renault, but so far it's nothing more than a rumour. 

    Latifi, who currently drives for DAMS in the Formula 2 championship, completed a fastest time of 1:16.023, putting him in 17th. Sergio Perez, who made an amazing come-back during a tough British GP, finished in 11th with a 1:15.415.

    It was a decent hour and a half for Haas, who saw both their drivers finish in the top 10. Grosjean in 7th with a 1:14.691 and Magnussen right behind in 8th with a 1:14.853.

    Hulkenberg, who is also fighting to perform well in front of his home-crowd, finished in 10th. Team-mate, Sainz, was a bit further down in 14th.

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:13.525 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:13.529 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Max Verstappen - 1:13.714 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:13.796 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:13.903 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:14.267 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:14.691 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:14.853 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Charles Leclerc - 1:15.097 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:15.282 / Renault-Renault / Germany

11. Sergio Perez - 1:15.415 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Fernando Alonso - 1:15.544 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

13. Lance Stroll - 1:15.629 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

14. Carlos Sainz - 1:15.769 / Renault-Renault / Spain

15. Brendon Hartley - 1:15.864 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

16. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:15.876 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

17. Nicholas Latifi - 1:16.023 / Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

18. Pierre Gasly - 1:16.071 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

19. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:16.136 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:16.149 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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British GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BRITISH GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    It was a Mercedes 1-2 as Lewis Hamilton led the way in the first practice session of the British GP weekend.

    Hometown hero, Lewis Hamilton, set the fastest time of 1:27.487 while Valtteri Bottas followed close behind in 2nd with a 1:27.854.

    Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was next on the list with a 1:27.998, followed by Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen.

    Williams looked to find a bit of improvement with their set-up, with Lance Stroll finishing in 10th with a 1:29.878. His team-mate, Sergey Sirotkin, ended up having a huge spin and found himself down in 20th with a 1:31.017, quite a few seconds off the pace.

    Sirotkin's spin was not as unlucky as Grosjean's crash, which happened as a result of a DRS error. Grosjean wasn't injured but he ended up missing out on FP2 due to the damage to his Haas. He ended FP1 in 7th despite the crash, his fastest time a 1:29.352. Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen finished the session in 14th with a 1:30.065.

    Max Verstappen finished the session in 6th with a 1:28.325 despite suffering from a gearbox problem, that left him stationary on the track.

    Perez and Ocon also finished within the top 10 with Perez in 8th with a 1:29.812 and Ocon in 9th with a 1:29.815.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:27.487 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:27.854 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:27.998 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:28.144 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:28.218 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

6. Max Verstappen - 1:28.325 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:29.352 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Sergio Perez - 1:29.812 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

9. Esteban Ocon - 1:29.815 / Force India-Mercedes / France

10. Lance Stroll - 1:29.878 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

11. Marcus Ericsson - 1:29.942 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

12. Pierre Gasly - 1:30.004 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

13. Charles Leclerc - 1:30.027 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

14. Kevin Magnussen - 1:30.065 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

15. Fernando Alonso - 1:30.322 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

16. Carlos Sainz - 1:30.358 / Renault-Renault / Spain

17. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:30.416 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

18. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:30.701 / Renault-Renault / Germany

19. Brendon Hartley - 1:30.749 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

20. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:31.017 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

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