Verstappen heads Albon in damp opening Turkey practice

Max Verstappen led the times ahead of team-mate Alex Albon as Red Bull slithered to top the times in Friday morning’s cold and damp opening practice for the Turkish Grand Prix. The Dutchman produced a best lap in 1min 35.077sec to outpace the...

Max Verstappen led the times ahead of team-mate Alex Albon as Red Bull slithered to top the times in Friday morning’s cold and damp opening practice for the Turkish Grand Prix.

The Dutchman produced a best lap in 1min 35.077sec to outpace the London-born Thai driver by 0.241sec in difficult conditions that saw nearly all of the drivers spinning and grumbling.

Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ran for only the final 30 minutes and contented himself with 15th place. He is bidding this weekend to seal his seventh drivers’ world championship, equalling Michael Schumacher.

The Istanbul Park circuit has not hosted Formula One cars at a Grand Prix since 2011 and the ‘skating rink’ experience produced little to signal what may lie ahead.

Lap times were around 10 seconds slower than those recorded nine years ago at the track which has been resurfaced and washed ahead of this weekend’s event.

 

Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

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