MADRID, 20 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) finished this Friday as the fastest on the first day of free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, the sixth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, in a second session in which he positioned himself ahead of the Mercedes of the British George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) was fourth and Fernando Alonso (Alpine), sixth.
Late in the afternoon at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Leclerc set the fastest time again (1:19:670), two tenths faster than his mark in the first free practice session, also being the best of that initial heat of workouts. All the drivers have shown their cards a little more for this Saturday’s classification, with the difference in fuel load being one of the keys this Friday.
The Monegasque won the Mercedes in this second session, who surprised by completing the ‘podium’. Russell was second just a tenth slower than Leclerc, while Hamilton, again behind his teammate, secured third place (0.204). Both improved, predictably with less fuel in their cars, their record from the first session, when they were fourth and sixth, respectively.
Carlos Sainz, who was the fastest until the last third of the session, was left out of the ‘podium’ in these free sessions, although only three tenths behind his teammate Leclerc, confirming the apparent dominance of the ‘Scuderia’ in Barcelona, with the mirage of Mercedes and some Red Bull that seem to hold out in the shadows so as not to reveal all their weapons.
Precisely, ‘Mad Max’ worsened his position compared to the first round of training, since, despite remaining three tenths from first place, he has now been fifth -he was third in the first session-. The Dutchman finished above Alonso, sixth to five tenths, an exciting result for the Asturian, who slips into the group of the best at the Circuit as an asset to fight against Mercedes.
‘Checo’ Pérez, absent in the first session, noticed that lack of laps and could only finish seventh, nine tenths behind the Monegasque. The other three drivers to complete the Top 10, all under a second, were Vettel, Ocon and Mick Schumacher.
This second round, more vibrant than the first, was marked by the use of soft tires by most of the drivers, in a session in which Bottas was the star of the negative note, since he had to leave the car on the grass due to a problem mechanic when completing the finish line, causing the departure of the ‘Virtual Safety Car’.
During the first free round, one of the novelties was the participation of two ‘rookies’. Estonian Juri Vips climbed into ‘Checo’ Pérez’s Red Bull to post the worst time of the first session, while Dutchman Nyck de Vries took Albon’s seat at Williams to finish eighteenth.
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