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Styrian GP: Verstappen tops FP1 as weather forced all for a soft tyre run

  • Darshan Chokhani
    • F1, Styrian GP, Max Verstappen

    SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 25: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Styria at Red Bull Ring on June 25, 2021 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202106250199 // Usage for editorial use only //

    Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped a busy F1 Styrian GP FP1 session from AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

    With the weather prediction not great for the F1 Styrian GP weekend, teams and drivers had a busy run in FP1, where they tried to mix the race and qualifying runs. They did use the soft tyres, but track limits did not allow for perfect runs for all.

    There were several lap deletions, especially at Turn 9 and Turn 10. It was Red Bull’s Verstappen on top with a 1m05.910s lap as he led AlphaTauri’s Gasly (1m06.166s) and Mercedes’ Hamilton (1m06.332s) and Valtteri Bottas (1m06.386s).

    Not only Hamilton had his lap deleted, there was also a moment at Turn 4 with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with no harm done. Bottas had an off at Turn 1, while he also had a moment with Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi, who pushed onto the grass.

    Behind the Top 4, it was AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (1m06.397s) leading the two Alpine drivers in the Top 7. Despite multiple lap deletions, Fernando Alonso (1m06.519s) was sixth from Esteban Ocon (1m06.551s), whereas Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll (1m06.584s) was eighth.

    The Top 10 was rounded out by Giovinazzi (1m06.614s) and Leclerc (1m06.629s), with Carlos Sainz (1m06.630s) just outside in 11th. The Spaniard had a spin at Turn 1 earlier in the session as he was one of the three to spin around.

    McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo was only 12th with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez 13th, after the latter had a spin at Turn 4. Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel slotted in 14th from Williams’ George Russell, with McLaren’s Lando Norris in 16th – where the Top 16 was covered by 0.951s.

    Norris was another driver to have multiple lap deletions as he led Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, with Haas’ Mick Schumacher in 18th from Alfa Romeo’s Robert Kubica and Haas’ Nikita Mazepin – the Polish driver started the FP1 session with a spin at Turn 3.

    Kubica drove the Alfa Romeo in place of Kimi Raikkonen, as he will get another FP1 run next weekend in place of Giovinazzi. There was also an off moment from Schumacher, as well, earlier in the Styrian GP FP1 session.

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