Valtteri Bottas narrowly led the first practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix by less than a tenth of a second from two other drivers.
Bottas’s team mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull rival Max Verstappen ended the session fractionally slower than the pace setter.However there was concern for Mercedes at the end of the session when Bottas suffered a front-left puncture. He lost a likely second place finish at Silverstone four weeks ago due to a late tyre failure in the race.
“I’m getting used to these punctures,” he said on the radio. “I had one last week with my road car as well.”
While three drivers were tight at the top of the times sheets, three others failed to set a time at all. These included the Haas pair, both of which are having engine changes on their cars, and fellow Ferrari engine user Antonio Giovinazzi.
The quickest Ferrari-powered car was Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo in 13th, followed by the two factory cars. He followed the two AlphaTauris including Pierre Gasly, who was frustrated at being held up by Lando Norris at one stage.
Alexander Albon ended the first practice session just under half a second shy of his team mate. The two Red Bulls were separated by the Racing Point pair, Sergio Perez two-tenths ahead of Lance Stroll.
The four Renault-powered cars completed the top 10, headed by Esteban Ocon, who has taken a new power unit this weekend. Carlos Sainz Jnr was the quickest of the two McLaren drivers.
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2020 Belgian Grand Prix First Practice classification
Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Best lap | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’44.493 | 18 | |
2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’44.562 | 0.069 | 17 |
3 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda | 1’44.574 | 0.081 | 20 |
4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point-Mercedes | 1’44.629 | 0.136 | 22 |
5 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point-Mercedes | 1’44.868 | 0.375 | 22 |
6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull-Honda | 1’45.049 | 0.556 | 22 |
7 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Renault | 1’45.099 | 0.606 | 20 |
8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | McLaren-Renault | 1’45.222 | 0.729 | 24 |
9 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 1’45.225 | 0.732 | 21 |
10 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Renault | 1’45.274 | 0.781 | 28 |
11 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1’45.447 | 0.954 | 25 |
12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1’45.503 | 1.010 | 17 |
13 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’45.704 | 1.211 | 19 |
14 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’45.759 | 1.266 | 18 |
15 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’46.179 | 1.686 | 15 |
16 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | 1’46.488 | 1.995 | 19 |
17 | 63 | George Russell | Williams-Mercedes | 1’46.570 | 2.077 | 21 |
18 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1 | ||
19 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 2 | ||
20 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 2 |
First practice visual gaps
Valtteri Bottas – 1’44.493
+0.069 Lewis Hamilton – 1’44.562
+0.081 Max Verstappen – 1’44.574
+0.136 Sergio Perez – 1’44.629
+0.375 Lance Stroll – 1’44.868
+0.556 Alexander Albon – 1’45.049
+0.606 Esteban Ocon – 1’45.099
+0.729 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’45.222
+0.732 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’45.225
+0.781 Lando Norris – 1’45.274
+0.954 Daniil Kvyat – 1’45.447
+1.010 Pierre Gasly – 1’45.503
+1.211 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’45.704
+1.266 Charles Leclerc – 1’45.759
+1.686 Sebastian Vettel – 1’46.179
+1.995 Nicholas Latifi – 1’46.488
+2.077 George Russell – 1’46.570
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
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2020 Belgian Grand Prix
- 2020 Belgian Grand Prix Star Performers
- Ricciardo believes Renault’s Spa set-up breakthrough will work on other tracks
- ‘He should have let me pass’: How Raikkonen saw Giovinazzi’s crash
- Sub-54 second laps will produce a “big mess” in qualifying on Bahrain Outer circuit
- McLaren expect Ferrari will “strike back” after Monza
Rodber
28th August 2020, 11:55
Kimi ahead of both Ferraris. In the Ferrari powered jalopy that is the current Sauber…….
James
28th August 2020, 11:58
Yeah, Kimi is a bit of whiz around this track though!
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
28th August 2020, 12:10
I know it’s only FP1, but I’m beginning to think Ferrari can’t wait for this season to be over.
Chaitanya
28th August 2020, 12:24
They wont be able to catch up in 2021 either.
OOliver
28th August 2020, 12:30
Or the next either.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
28th August 2020, 13:20
Probably more of a question of catch who next year, Racing Point? Mercedes are over the horizon from where Ferrari are now.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
28th August 2020, 13:16
Ferrari with the williams pair next up…..