Valtteri Bottas set the quickest time during a closely-contested opening practice session for Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has traditionally hosted Formula 1 pre-season testing but its re-location to Bahrain this year meant Friday’s session was the championship’s first experience of the circuit in 2021.
Drivers also got their first taste of the reprofiled Turn 10, which has been changed into a sweeping left-hander, in the first alteration to the circuit layout since 2007.
Bottas clocked a time of 1:18.504s to finish 0.033s clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the one-hour session, which was held in warm and sunny conditions, as drivers trialled the Soft tyres.
Both drivers grappled with traffic through the session, with Bottas almost rear-ending Carlos Sainz at the chicane – locking both wheels and running wide to avoid the Ferrari driver – while Verstappen aborted one push lap after encountering Lance Stroll.
Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton finished a tenth back in third place.
Norris maintains fine start to 2021
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who holds third in the standings, continued his encouraging start to the campaign by placing fourth overall, four-tenths behind Bottas.
Ferrari finished fifth and sixth respectively, Charles Leclerc ahead of home representative Sainz, but did so on the Mediums rather than the Softs employed by their rivals.
Ferrari struggled for overall pace on the yellow-banded compound, which again is the C2 tyre this weekend, during Sunday’s race in Portugal.
Pierre Gasly took seventh for AlphaTauri while Sebastian Vettel showed an upturn in form by finishing the session in eighth place.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was only ninth but had his Soft tyre run compromised when he encountered Daniel Ricciardo in the final sector of the lap.
Kubica causes only red flag
Robert Kubica returned to the Alfa Romeo C41 but caused a red flag two-thirds of the way through the session when he spun into the gravel at the reprofiled Turn 10.
The C41 became beached in the gravel and the session was halted while the car was removed.
The only other major drama befell Nikita Mazepin, who spun his Haas VF-21 at Turn 8 during the opening minutes of the session.
Mazepin was able to extricate his car from the gravel but lost some time while Haas changed his seat after encountering some discomfort with a new mould that the team had brought.
Friday’s second practice session is scheduled for 15:00 local time
[motorsport_result id='62759']
