Mercedes were quickest as usual in the first practice session for the Italian Grand Prix – but for once they didn’t have both their cars at the top of the times.
Lewis Hamilton was over six-tenths of a second quicker than his closest pursuer, which was Jenson Button. The McLaren driver led the times on more than one occasion, and ended the session ahead of Nico Rosberg, who was eight-tenths slower than his team mate.
McLaren’s potential was underlined by Kevin Magnussen, who joined his team mate in the top five.
The quickest non-Mercedes powered car belonged to Fernando Alonso who put his Ferrari in fourth place at their home ground.
Sebastian Vettel put Red Bull in sixth place but the other car of Daniel Ricciardo was not running at the end of the session. He pulled into the pits with an ERS problem half an hour before the chequered flag fell.
Force India test driver Daniel Juncadella became the first person this year to take advantage of the new rule allowing practice drivers to run at the beginning of a session then hand their car over to someone else, in this case Sergio Perez.
The VJM07 proved a handful for both drivers, however – Juncadella damaged its underside by going off the track and Perez went off at the Ascari chicane. Nonetheless the latter set the team’s best time for eighth overall, with team mate Nico Hulkenberg joining him in the top ten.
Charles Pic and Roberto Merhi had their first runs during a practice session this year for Lotus and Caterham respectively. The latter out-paced regular driver Marcus Ericsson.
Image © Daimler/Hoch Zwei
Robert (@gicu)
5th September 2014, 10:41
If Marcus Ericsson is back next year.. Well, first things first: if Caterham are back next year and they bring back Ericsson, they’re truly hopeless. This is beginning to be disgraceful..
BasCB (@bascb)
5th September 2014, 10:57
I guess if Ericsson is back, it proves he has VERY solid backers.
BaKano (@bakano)
5th September 2014, 11:27
It makes you wonder why they replace Kobayashi and keep running Ericsson, when the new comers beat Ericsson and Kobayashi has beaten Ericsson most, if not all, of the races…
Ercisson brought up a good money package for sure!
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
5th September 2014, 11:34
Hey man…Give Marcus a break…he already told the world that he is slow because of his weight….can’t blame the guy…poor thing….
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
5th September 2014, 12:16
@jaymenon10 That just shows how far F1 has fallen.. although considering that Mercedes vetoed the weight limit increase, it’s now apt that their position of dominance is now blowing up in their face.. that said, do we finally know what the ‘consequences’ are that Rosberg is now facing?
BaKano (@bakano)
5th September 2014, 16:45
From an English article I found, Ericsson is around 68Kgs (152 pounds) although some other stats, such as the GP2 sie for last year, put him on 64Kgs. From an Audi press-release for the 24-Hours of Le Mans, Andre Loterer is 74kgs.
Roberto Mehri personal website states he is 76kg.
Poor Marcus indeed ;)
Prof Kirk (@prof-kirk)
5th September 2014, 11:34
maybe Robert Merhi is actually just really good?
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
5th September 2014, 17:06
@prof-kirk He’s handy, but still it was his first time ever in an F1 car.
Dan Brown (@danbrown180)
5th September 2014, 11:51
I struggle to see what is attractive to sponsors about a driver / car that is constantly last…
Lewis McMurray (@celicadion23)
5th September 2014, 10:46
Great to see McLaren right up there, let’s hope it translates through Saturday and Sunday!!
Fletch (@fletchuk)
5th September 2014, 11:59
+1
Pete (@petey84)
5th September 2014, 14:04
Seems like a long time since McLaren were constantly in the top 3 teams.
On a side note I don’t know how Honda will do next year. Last time they were in F1 they didn’t do too well.
DaveW (@dmw)
5th September 2014, 15:22
Some say that in their actual last year they won both titles. However, in any event, that car won with Mercedes engines.
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
5th September 2014, 10:53
Good run by Merhi. I’m also optimistic about McLaren’s chances this weekend, although I’ll end up having that optimism deflated by FP2 I feel, surely Force India and Williams are holding back?
BasCB (@bascb)
5th September 2014, 10:58
You would hope so, wouldn’t you. Especially as McLaren aren’t really running all that low drag on the car, maybe they went ahead and stayed on lower fuel from the start today. Still, at least it shows they have a good shot of a relatively easy Q3 spot
Srdjan Mandic (@srga91)
5th September 2014, 11:28
I suspect that the McLarens were running with less fuel compared to Ferrari, RB and Williams. Nevertheless they look comfortably ahaed of Force India and that should be their main goal. The Williams were definately sandbagging and concetrating on aero-tests. Force India just aren’t competitive anymore, their car is lacking a lot of downforce.
Mark Backes (@markf1)
5th September 2014, 12:05
When has Williams ever been near the top on Friday? Tomorrow’s practice will reveal more.
Formula Indonesia (@)
5th September 2014, 10:58
Merhi was better than Ericsson??? What about Lotterer-Merhi
JeffreyJ
5th September 2014, 11:50
Magnussen needs to watch himself imho
Button doesn’t have great one-lap prowess. He doesn’t suck at it at all, I think he’s better tham most. But if you want to show the F1 paddock you got outright raw speed, you need to beat him as his teammate. Being half a second slower than Jenson doesn’t show well and if I’m not mistaken he is behind JB in qually more than he’s in front.
Vandoorne is more than willing to take his place and Nyck de Vries is on the verge of winning both the European and Alps FR2.0 championships as well. Plus rumours about Alonso, Vettel and possibly Hamilton maybe switching teams.
Everybody looks at Button to retire or get bounced by McLaren but other than a podium in Melbourne, Magnusson hasn’t exactly set his McLaren on fire, has he?
Formula Indonesia (@)
5th September 2014, 17:20
I am sorry mate, but reply more logical. I’m talking about Caterham
JeffreyJ
5th September 2014, 20:10
Sorry. Wasn’t meant as a direct reply on Caterham, just on the subject of teammate battles and F1 worthy-ness
sonia luff (@sonia54)
5th September 2014, 17:21
Well said mate totally agree. Kevin has not turned out to be the next Hammy
HK (@me4me)
5th September 2014, 11:52
Didn’t see FP1, but from this list Mclaren look quick. Ericsson looks plain slow.
OllieJ (@olliej)
5th September 2014, 14:34
Why is Mehri 45? I thought that was Lotterer’s number?
Mashiat (@mashiat)
5th September 2014, 15:27
@olliej It’s funny because 45 seems to be a number very much in demand for one-off racers. First Rossi, then Lotterer then Mehri!
Michel S. (@hircus)
5th September 2014, 15:48
They don’t have the money for new stickers for the car…
OllieJ (@olliej)
5th September 2014, 23:47
@hircus you could be right :)
I hadn’t spotted that @mashiat I can’t find an explanation for how the numbers work for Friday drivers. I thought that because Lotterer had raced 45 that it would be locked to him now, so does this mean if a driver misses one race they can lose their number?