Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 during the opening practice session for Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Cool and cloudy conditions greeted the paddock at the Red Bull Ring but the predicted rain stayed away for the 90-minute session, allowing drivers to rack up mileage on slick tyres.
Hamilton worked his way down to a 1:04.839 on Pirelli’s Ultrasoft tyres – the softest of the available compounds this weekend – to finish 0.127s clear of team-mate and 2017 victor Valtteri Bottas.
Max Verstappen began Red Bull’s home event in third position, 0.233s behind Hamilton, via a spin exiting Turn 4, with Sebastian Vettel fourth for Ferrari.
Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen were fifth and sixth respectively, while Romain Grosjean spearheaded the midfield group for Haas, 1.1s behind Hamilton.
Grosjean’s compatriot Esteban Ocon placed eighth for Force India, while Charles Leclerc continued his good run of form for Sauber by taking ninth, in front of Pierre Gasly.
Gasly ran with Toro Rosso’s Spec 1 power unit for reliability reasons, but still finished half a second clear of team-mate Brendon Hartley, who classified 19th.
Marcus Ericsson consolidated an encouraging session for Sauber by taking 11th, in front of Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz Jr.
Sainz Jr., Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne all ran Renault’s updated MGU-K, which has not been fitted to either Red Bull or the MCL33 of Fernando Alonso.
Sergio Perez split the Renault drivers in 14th spot, while Williams and McLaren continued to struggle, lapping towards the rear of the field.
Lance Stroll took 16th spot, in front of Alonso and Vandoorne, who suffered front wing damage after heavy kerb riding at the final corner.
Williams tester Robert Kubica took over Sergey Sirotkin’s FW41 for the second of three planned FP1 outings but was rooted to the bottom of the timesheets, half a second behind nearest rival Hartley.
