Valtteri Bottas team mate led Lewis Hamilton The top of the timesheet dominated the opening day of Formula One practice as Mercedes Russian Grand Prix, Red Bull’s . with Max Verstappen Ready to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
Bottas, who led hamilton In both Friday’s sessions, the day ended with the fastest time of one minute 33.593 seconds, with the Briton just 0.044 seconds behind his teammate.
Finally boosting Hamilton’s hopes of securing a historic 100th victory and possibly regaining the championship lead, Red Bull opted to fit title rival and championship leader Verstappen’s car with a new engine that removed penalties. triggered.
The Dutchman, who leads Hamilton by five points in the overall standings and was already taking a three-place grid penalty for a crash that knocked both drivers out of the final race at Monza, in two of Friday’s sessions. was third and sixth faster respectively. .
Sochi specialist Bottas, who secured his first Formula One victory on the track in 2017, is targeting his first win of the season.
But the 32-year-old, who is joining Alfa Romeo next season and has not won since last year’s race in Russia, said he would be ready to “take one for the team” and if the situation arises. Let Hamilton win.
Mercedes, 18 points ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, has won all seven races held in Sochi since the 2014 Winter Olympics venue, which hosted the Grand Prix for the first time that year.
Pierre Gasly finished third fastest for AlphaTauri on Friday, but the Frenchman lost his front wing after a rattle on the curbs in the closing seconds of the session.
Lando Norris, who completed a one-two for McLaren behind the race winner Daniel Ricciardo In the last race in Italy, Alpine’s Esteban was the fourth fastest ahead of Ocon.
Carlos Sainz was seventh ahead of Ferrari Fernando Alonso In his Alpine and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel.
Among the other Ferraris Charles Leclerc, who likes Verstappen, will start from the rear after a power unit change, having dropped out of the top 10.
Antonio Giovinazzi hit his Alfa Romeo hard at the Turn 9 complex, giving the session a nine-minute halt.
Hamilton also ran into one of his pit crews after monitoring his marks while stopping.
Kimi Raikkonen returned for Alfa Romeo after missing the last two races testing positive for COVID-19. He finished Friday’s race 12th.
Bottas, who led hamilton In both Friday’s sessions, the day ended with the fastest time of one minute 33.593 seconds, with the Briton just 0.044 seconds behind his teammate.
Finally boosting Hamilton’s hopes of securing a historic 100th victory and possibly regaining the championship lead, Red Bull opted to fit title rival and championship leader Verstappen’s car with a new engine that removed penalties. triggered.
The Dutchman, who leads Hamilton by five points in the overall standings and was already taking a three-place grid penalty for a crash that knocked both drivers out of the final race at Monza, in two of Friday’s sessions. was third and sixth faster respectively. .
Sochi specialist Bottas, who secured his first Formula One victory on the track in 2017, is targeting his first win of the season.
But the 32-year-old, who is joining Alfa Romeo next season and has not won since last year’s race in Russia, said he would be ready to “take one for the team” and if the situation arises. Let Hamilton win.
Mercedes, 18 points ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, has won all seven races held in Sochi since the 2014 Winter Olympics venue, which hosted the Grand Prix for the first time that year.
Pierre Gasly finished third fastest for AlphaTauri on Friday, but the Frenchman lost his front wing after a rattle on the curbs in the closing seconds of the session.
Lando Norris, who completed a one-two for McLaren behind the race winner Daniel Ricciardo In the last race in Italy, Alpine’s Esteban was the fourth fastest ahead of Ocon.
Carlos Sainz was seventh ahead of Ferrari Fernando Alonso In his Alpine and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel.
Among the other Ferraris Charles Leclerc, who likes Verstappen, will start from the rear after a power unit change, having dropped out of the top 10.
Antonio Giovinazzi hit his Alfa Romeo hard at the Turn 9 complex, giving the session a nine-minute halt.
Hamilton also ran into one of his pit crews after monitoring his marks while stopping.
Kimi Raikkonen returned for Alfa Romeo after missing the last two races testing positive for COVID-19. He finished Friday’s race 12th.
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