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FP1 Report | Valtteri Bottas tops FP1 after limited running from all teams

FP1 Report | Valtteri Bottas tops FP1 after limited running from all teams

01-07-2022 14:00 Last update: 14:18
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As the rain came down practically from the first second of free practice one, it was eventually the Alfa Romeo of Valterri Bottas that topped the mixed weather session, as he beat Lewis Hamilton in second who made a last-minute lap on dry tyres, and it was the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in third. As many drivers didn't set a lap during the first 55 minutes of the session.

Uneventful but not without incident 

Despite the limited running in this practice session, Lance Stroll still managed to find the gravel right at the end as he ventured onto a wet track on dry tyres and spun at Copse. He managed to keep his Aston Martin out of the wall though much to the delight of his team. Although it did bring out the Red Flag and end of FP1. 

A wet free practice 

Almost as if on queue, the rain started coming down as FP1 started and the track got damp very quickly which then saw wet running right from the off, with Ferrari heading out on intermediates straight away, although rain was only over half the track at that point. Due to no rain being forecasted for the rest of the weekend, this meant we saw limited running in the early stage, with no more than four drivers being on track at once for the first quarter of an hour. And only six cars set a lap time by 20 minutes in.

Upgrades, Upgrades, Upgrades 

A lot of teams brought upgrades this weekend and although the rain of the start may have hampered seeing who has made the most progress, so that'll come down to FP2, and the rest of the weekend. Although it will be Mercedes who are hoping to bridge to gap between Ferrari and Red Bull as it's both their drivers' home Grand Prix.

Minimal data gathered

We saw what a minimum amount of data would be gathered from all teams due to the constant change in weather. Although it was Ferrari and Mercedes who lead the charge on the drys as many then followed them out as there was time for one or two laps on the dry tyres. Which allowed Lewis Hamilton to jump up to second in the timesheets.