Bottas fastest, Verstappen crashes in F1 Italian GP first practice
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas set the fastest time in opening practice for Formula 1’s Italian Grand 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 Briton 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 Daniil Kvyat split the Red Bull drivers in fourth, 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 over the kerbs and into the gravel.
The Dutchman’s front wing broke 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 Point 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 the 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 Monza circuit, with Charles Leclerc only P11 in first practice and some 1.2s off the pace.
His teammate Sebastian Vettel finished second slowest in 19th, ahead of only the Williams of Nicholas Latifi as he ended opening practice over two seconds down.
Behind Leclerc came Esteban Ocon’s Renault 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-favourite Antonio Giovinazzi heading teammate Kimi Raikkonen in 16th.
In just his second FP1 outing, Roy Nissany finished ahead of Vettel and Latifi 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.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
