Max Verstappen sets fastest time in opening practice for Azerbaijan Grand Prix - UPDATED
Max Verstappen secured the fastest time in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc crashing out in his Ferrari.
Leclerc, winner last time out in Italy, is something of a Baku street circuit specialist, having taken pole in each of the last three years at the venue.However, he clipped the dirt on the outside of the approach to Turn 15 and slid into the wall, bringing out the red flags and ending his session with 30 minutes to go.
When they switched their attention to the soft tires – which are the C5 for Baku, the softest in Pirelli’s range – it was Red Bull’s Verstappen who was quickest. The Dutchman clocked a 1m 45.546s at the death to move ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by 0.313s.
It was a much more assured session for Red Bull, who were running a small upgrade to the floor, compared to Monza with Perez slotting into third late on, 0.376s adrift of Verstappen.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was fourth, ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri was sixth.
Daniel Ricciardo completed the top-10, a second quicker than RB team mate Yuki Tsunoda who complained about a significant amount of bouncing.
Franco Colapinto, competing in only his second FP2 session, was showing an impressive turn of speed but the Williams driver couldn’t catch a little snap at Turn 4 and slid into the wall. That brought out the red flag for the third time (the first was to clear debris while the second was required to clear Leclerc’s stricken Ferrari and repair the barrier).
Colapinto was classified 16th, a fraction ahead of Alex Albon who had a little trip down the escape road at Turn 4 but kept it out of the barriers.
Formula 1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 Practice 1 results are as follows:
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13:51
The first Formula 1 practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has commenced.
A total of 10 teams, each fielding two drivers, are competing on the 6-kilometer Baku City Circuit, News.Az reports.
The practice session will last for one hour.
Today's schedule also includes the Formula 2 qualifying round at 15:00 (Baku time) and the second Formula 1 practice session at 17:00 (Baku time).
The highly anticipated 2024 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix began today in Baku, with races scheduled to take place from September 13 to 15 on the city’s renowned street circuit. This will be the eighth time the capital of Azerbaijan has hosted this prestigious global motorsport event, further reinforcing the country’s standing on the international sporting stage.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the fourth race in the 2024 Formula 1 season following the events in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, is expected to be one of the season’s highlights. It is part of the 24-race calendar approved by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council for the current year.
In a bid to improve logistics and efficiency, the 2024 Formula 1 calendar has undergone significant adjustments. Notably, the Japanese Grand Prix was moved to April, while the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was rescheduled to September. These changes are designed to streamline race operations and reduce the workload on the participating teams.
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