Red Bull team driver Max Verstapen was the fastest in both Formula One (F-1) Turkish Grand Prix practice races on Friday.
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On Friday, in both the first and second training sessions, riders needed several laps to warm up their tires. Although the outside temperature was +14 degrees Celsius, and the track temperature was two degrees higher, a lot of pilots slipped in curves, especially in the first one.
In the first training session, Verstapens drove the track in one minute and 35,077 seconds, leaving behind teammate Alexander Albon and Ferrari’s hope for the future, Charles Clare. Albon lost 0.241 seconds and Clecker lost 0.430 seconds.
More modest results were achieved by the overall leaders Lewis Hamilton and Walter Botass from Mercedes. The Finnish pilot was in ninth position, but Hamilton was 15th.
The session was interrupted after seven minutes by hoisting a red flag on the track, but later the bolids returned to the track, which Verstapens did not hesitate to call an ice rink.
Significantly, the times shown on the track were about ten seconds slower than in 2009, when Turkey last hosted the F-1 series.
In the second training session, Verstapens remained unbeaten again, who left the track in the fastest attempt in a minute and 28,330 seconds. Clecker lost 0.401 seconds and Botass lost 0.575 seconds.
Hamilton, the fourth-place finisher, was almost 0.300 seconds slower, followed by Albon, Alpha Tauri riders Daniel Quyat and Pierre Gasli, as well as Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Lens Strols (Racing Point) and Lendo Norris ( “McLaren”), who finished in the top ten.
The third training is scheduled for Saturday, followed by two qualifying sessions, but the Grand Prix is expected on Sunday.
Hamilton could secure his seventh F-1 career career this weekend. Previously, only the legendary Michael Schumacher succeeded.
