F1 Italian GP: Bottas fastest in first practice as Verstappen crashes
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas set the fastest time in opening practice for Formula 1’s Italian🐈 Granℱd Prix as Max Verstappen crashed his Red Bull.
Bottas lapped 0.245s quicker than teammate Lewis Hamilton on the Soft tyre to post a 1m20.703 in the first practice session on Friday morning as he looks to reduce his 50-point deficit to the Br🐽iton at the eighth round of the 2020 season at Monza.
Alex Albon was third-fastest for Red Bull as he wound up 0.797s off the pace of the Mercedes duo on a weekend when F1’s new engine mode ♏restrictions come into force.
The AlphaTauri of Dan🧜iil Kvyat split the Red Bull drivers in fourt🅺h, ahead of Verstappen, who brought out a brief red flag when he crashed at the Ascari chicane mid-way through FP1.
Verstappen lost control as his RB16 swapped ends at mid-corner, before bouncing o꧙ver the kerbs and into the gravel.
The Dutchman’s front win🥀g broꦗke off following light contact with the barriers but Verstappen was able to return to the pits under his own steam. He eventually posted a lap good enough for fifth place, nearly a second adrift.
Pierre Gasly was sixth-fastest in the second AlphaTauri despite suffering a spin at the 🎉Variante della Roggia chicane late on in the session.
Racing Poin🌳t driver Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris set identical laptimes on their way to seventh and eighth respectively, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz who made up the๊ rest of the top 10.
Ferrari is braced for another tough weekend on home soil following its woes at the Belgian Grand Prix at the power-hungry Mon𝔉za circuit, with Charles Leclerဣc only P11 in first practice and some 1.2s off the pace.
His teammate Sebastian V🅘ettel finished second slowest in 19th, ahead of only the Williams of Nicholas Lati🍷fi as he ended opening practice over two seconds down.
Behind Leclerc came Esteban Ocon🍌’s Ren⛎ault and the Racing Point of Lance Stroll as the Haas duo of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen took 14th and 15th.
The Alfa Romeos followed with home-f𓃲avourite Antonio𓆉 Giovinazzi heading teammate Kimi Raikkonen in 16th.
In just his second FP1 outing, Roy Nissany finished ahead of Vettel and Lati💙fi and was 2.123s off the pace as he returned to the cockpit for Williams, with George Russell sitting out of the first 90-minute practice session.
FULL RESULTS FROM OPENING PRACTICE FOR THE 2020 F1 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX.
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