F1 GP Russia, Free Practice on Friday 24 September live with real-time updates on placements and standings
The second free practice session is set for 2 pm.
CHESS FLAG! Valtteri Bottas most rapid with a time of 1: 34.427 in the first free practice session closed in front of team mate Lewis Hamilton, two tenths behind. Third location for Verstappen, then Leclerc’s Ferrari. Fifth Vettel, then Galsy and Sainz. Norris, Perez and Alonso close the top ten.
Solid start in Sochi ???? P1 for VB and P2 for Lewis in first practice ???? pic.twitter.com/w7PXPdJxDB
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) September 24, 2021
11.25: Verstappen’s Red Bull in the pits with the mechanics busy disassembling the car. Possible change of power unit on number 33.
11.20: There are 10 minutes to the end of free practice. Good race pace for Leclerc’s Ferrari.
11.15: Second set of soft tires for Verstappen who places his Red Bull two tenths from Bottas but in third position.
11.10: No improvement on the part of the riders who are focusing mainly on race pace.
11.03: Red tires also for Sainz with the Spaniard finishing sixth with a time of 1: 35.811.
First timed lap on soft tyres for #Carlos55: 1:35.811!
We are halfway into #FP1 ⏰ #RussianGP pic.twitter.com/of5Xuc0qb3
– Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 24, 2021
11.00: The first half hour of free practice went: Bottas in the lead ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc, fourth Verstappen. Following Gasly, Norris, the two Alpines with Alonso in front of Ocon; Vettel and Ricciardo close the top ten. Sainz in 11th position.
10.58: Second position for Hamilton, also with the softer compound of the tires: 1.34: 638. Third place for Leclerc, six tenths from the Finn.
10.55: Valtteri Bottas, super time with the red tire: 1: 34.427.
10.53: Verstappen, Bottas and Hamilton – the first three – at the moment in the pits for the tire change. Leclerc fourth.
#FP1 is on! #Carlos55 lap time on hard tyres 1:37.603 and #Charles16 1:36.708 on softs.#RussianGP pic.twitter.com/apoJ2e26Nx
– Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 24, 2021
10.49: Sharp for Max Verstappen who places the time of 1: 36.055 with soft tires.
10.46: First timed lap for Verstappen who, with a red tire, puts himself in fourth position behind the two Mercedes and Leclerc.
10.45: Leclerc in the pits who has identified a problem with his Ferrari.
10.44: Mercedes in the lead. 1: 36.412 is Valtteri Bottas’ time on hard tires. Leclerc, second, has instead the red tires, the soft ones.
10.38: Leclerc’s car is really performing at the moment: 1: 36.708 and first place. Bottas behind with a time of 1: 37.147.
10.35: Hamilton immediately sets an excellent lap and takes first position: 1: 38.373.
10.34: The first two Ferraris in the lead, with Leclerc ahead of Sainz.
10.30: Green light, the first free practice session has begun. Sainz the first on the track.
The Formula 1 he put the GP of Italy with relative controversy for the accident between Hamilton and Verstappen that continues to bring aftermath, with the Dutchman who will serve three penalty positions on the starting grid. Back on track, in Sochi for Russian GP, the 15th appointment of Global 2021.
Max and the leader of the World Cup with five points ahead of World Champion in office and promises to be a great battle between the two, with the duel increasingly bitter. One of the discriminating factors could be the rain, expected on the circuit Sochi for the whole weekend.
Great curiosity also for the Ferrari, who at Monza gave timid signs of vitality with the fourth place of Leclerc. The situation relating to Verstappen, with Red Bull that could decide to change the power unit on its car with an inevitable penalty. Change that, on the other hand, has already been made on Leclerc’s Ferrari, with the Monegasque starting at the bottom of the grid.
READ ALSO >>> Leclerc, the expected decision has arrived: news for Ferrari
F1 GP Russia, the precedent of 2020
In 2020 the Russian GP it was held on 27 September, for the tenth round of a world championship heavily influenced by Covid. In Sochi 12 months ago its Valtteri Bottas his Mercedes to triumph, crossing the line in front of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, penalized by 10 ″ for an irregularity at the start. The first Ferrari, that of Charles Leclerc, was only sixth, while Sebastian Vettel closed only in 13th place, however, doubled.
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