Alfa Romeo Racing had a relatively subdued session this morning after its improvements in France and placed a lowly 16th and 17th – Antonio Giovinazzi ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Preparations began at the Red Bull Ring for the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix, with teams and drivers ready to evaluate the ideal setup and configurations for the qualifying session and the race on Sunday.
It has not been an easy start for Alfa Romeo Racing in Austria, as Kimi Raikkonen completed 23 laps this morning, with a personal best of 1:06.729, almost two seconds down on Lewis Hamilton, who maintained his recent form as he led the way during Friday’s opening practice session. Antonio Giovinazzi completed 30 laps, with a personal best of 1:06.708, but both drivers will be hoping to substantially improve in the second practice session at the Red Bull Ring.
Carlos Sainz Jr. maintained McLaren’s strong form as he took seventh, just 0.664s behind Hamilton, though will drop to the back of the grid on Sunday after taking on a fresh power unit. Daniel Ricciardo was eighth for Renault, the first driver to lap over a second slower than Hamilton, with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen ninth and McLaren’s Lando Norris capping the top 10. Romain Grosjean was just 0.010s behind the McLaren rookie, with Toro Rosso pair Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon next up, in front of Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) and Sergio Perez (Racing Point).
Hulkenberg caused the session to be red-flagged three minutes ahead of schedule when he went wide through the penultimate corner. Hulkenberg lost half of his front wing and Race Control opted to bring the session to a halt in order for the debris to be retrieved. Williams finished at the rear of the pack, though George Russell classified just 0.049s behind Stroll, with Robert Kubica further adrift at the back.
Friday’s second 90-minute practice session is scheduled for 15:00 local time.
Austrian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the opening free practice session for the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.
FP1 Results (Classification):
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:04.838
Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +0.144
Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +0.161
Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.303
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.422
Pierre Gasly Red Bull Racing +0.540
Carlos Sainz McLaren +0.664
Daniel Ricciardo Renault +1.008
Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.038
Lando Norris McLaren +1.287
Romain Grosjean Haas +1.297
Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso +1.434
Alex Albon Toro Rosso +1.447
Nico Hulkenberg Renault +1.545
Sergio Perez Racing Point +1.619
Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo +1.870
Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo +1.891
Lance Stroll Racing Point +1.918
George Russell Williams +1.967
Robert Kubica Williams +2.827
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