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Mercedes dominate FP1 with new spec engine - FP1 Summary and results

Mercedes dominate FP1 with new spec engine - FP1 Summary and results

22-06-2018 12:27
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Matt Gretton

Editor-in-Chief

Lewis Hamilton finishes top of the timesheets in FP1. 1st place faced plenty of changes throughout the session, but it was the Brit who dominated the morning session whilst using his new spec engine. His team-mate Valtteri Bottas finished 2nd.

Both Silver Arrows and Mercedes customer teams drove with their new spec engine in this session. There was a chance it would be delayed further, but all problems have been resolved. Williams and Force India's performance wasn't improved.

Turn six played its part in the session. Numerous drivers spun as the wind on this part of the track caused tricky conditions. Those that spun here included Leclerc, Raikkonen and Hartley.

McLaren decided to warn Fernando Alonso of the conditions to prevent any dramas of their own. All drivers managed to avoid the wall as a result of the long runoff zones.

Marcus Ericsson crashed right at the end of the session. His car caught fire after the impact but the driver was out safely.  

The session started with clear sunny skies and an air temperature of 25c. This stayed constant throughout the session, but the holder of 1st place didn't.

The Mercedes boys held the lead in the earlier stages of the session until Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo took over. Bottas and Ricciardo then traded improved times, before Kimi Raikkonen pushed his way through.

The Australian went on to take a half second lead just after the 40-minute mark. This was held until Mercedes got their new spec engines geared up.

Bottas was first to make a move before Hamilton came from 4th to 1st to set the pace for the rest of the session.

Vettel, at one point, found himself down in 20th with about 30 minutes to go. He put in a lap time that moved him into 6th and then 5th, but it's clear the Ferrari is struggling in practice again.

Grosjean had a great session for Haas. He was 2 seconds off the top spot but ran well enough to finish in 6th. A big improvement for Haas after they struggled in the last few weeks.

McLaren's woes seem to have continued. Alonso couldn't continue his Le Mans form as he finished in 16th whilst team-mate Vandoorne finished in 19th. The Williams team started the session well in their new engine upgrades, but the form couldn't be continued as they slipped down the table.