Verstappen tops the charts in Austrian GP FP1, Sainz close behind
Max Verstappen seized the top spot in the both Ferrari drivers. The Red Bull driver posted an impressive 1:05.742s lap.
Max Verstappen took the top spot in the only Formula 1 practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, posting an impressive 1:05.742s lap.
The Red Bull driver outshone Carlos Sainz, who took second place in the session's final moments.
Early in the session, the Red Bull duo of Verstappen and Sergio Perez set a fierce pace, swapping the fastest times on the hard compound tyres.
Verstappen clocked a 1:07.145s, only to be slightly outpaced by Perez's 1:07.111s.
Fernando Alonso broke the Red Bull dominance with a 1:06.656s lap on the yellow-walled Pirelli tyres, temporarily taking the top spot.
Lewis Hamilton also made his mark, clocking a 1:06.416s lap to move above Verstappen.
Late-session Shuffle
The last 15 minutes of the session saw teams testing the limits of the Red Bull Ring circuit on soft tyres.
Lance Stroll made it to second place, with Charles Leclerc and Perez following close behind. Carlos Sainz then led with a 1:05.983s on his first flying run on softs.
Verstappen regains top spot
However, Verstappen had the last word, posting a 1:05.742s on the medium tyre to top the charts once again.
Leclerc secured third place, with Hamilton's soft-tyre run half a second off the pace.
Perez and Stroll followed in fifth and sixth respectively, while Kevin Magnussen, Alonso, George Russell, and Zhou Guanyu rounded off the top ten.
Difficulties for McLaren's Norris
Lando Norris had a challenging session, ending at the bottom of the timing sheets despite sporting new upgrades on his McLaren.
With this intense practice session setting the stage for an equally competitive qualifying round, the Austrian Grand Prix promises to be an exciting event.
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