Lewis Hamilton led the field in the first Formula One practice session at the new Baku City Circuit.
Lap times improved quickly throughout much of the session on the recently-laid surface. Hamilton set his best time on a set of super-soft tyres, then spoiled a succession of laps with minor errors at turn one and turn three.
Nico Rosberg ended up three-tenths of a second off his team mate while Valtteri Bottas showed well for William on the soft tyre compound, finishing up six-tenths of a second down on Hamilton.
Turn 15 proved a particular trouble spot for the drivers and with 20 minutes to go it was the scene of the most major incident of the session when Daniel Ricciardo became the first driver to hit the barrier. The Red Bull got off-line in the middle of turn 15 and wiped its right-rear suspension off on the wall. The red flag was thrown as the now three-wheeled Red Bull came to a stop.
Daniil Kvyat and Felipe Nasr had already had near-misses at the same corner, the Sauber driver locking his brakes and cutting across the inside kerbs to avoid hitting the same barrier. After the session resumed Carlos Sainz Jnr also ran wide there and made the slightest of contact with the barrier, damaging his front wing.
It was a tough session for Red Bull as Max Verstappen only managed seven laps before smoke began to appear from the rear of his car, sending him into the pits.
Fernando Alonso was an encouraging fourth for McLaren on soft tyres while Sebastian Vettel took fifth with his final lap, also on softs.
First practice visual gaps
Lewis Hamilton – 1’46.435
+0.377 Nico Rosberg – 1’46.812
+0.661 Valtteri Bottas – 1’47.096
+1.554 Fernando Alonso – 1’47.989
+2.192 Sebastian Vettel – 1’48.627
+2.487 Sergio Perez – 1’48.922
+2.690 Felipe Massa – 1’49.125
+2.832 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’49.267
+2.866 Nico Hulkenberg – 1’49.301
+3.176 Romain Grosjean – 1’49.611
+3.200 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’49.635
+3.343 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’49.778
+3.732 Esteban Gutierrez – 1’50.167
+4.038 Marcus Ericsson – 1’50.473
+4.050 Max Verstappen – 1’50.485
+4.116 Daniil Kvyat – 1’50.551
+4.475 Jolyon Palmer – 1’50.910
+4.504 Kevin Magnussen – 1’50.939
+4.784 Pascal Wehrlein – 1’51.219
+5.336 Felipe Nasr – 1’51.771
+5.490 Rio Haryanto – 1’51.925
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
2016 European Grand Prix
- Podium earns Perez Driver of the Weekend win
- Baku’s first race ranked among the worst since 2008
- 2016 European Grand Prix team radio transcript
- 2016 European Grand Prix Predictions Championship results
- Top ten pictures from the 2016 European Grand Prix
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
17th June 2016, 11:38
I have to say that I quite like this track so far.
Seems very bumpy in places & very fast for a street circuit. Turn 13 is a bit tighter than it looked on the track maps so its not easy flat & the 18/19 section at the end of the lap is flat but still a pretty fun section & there’s a bump on the entry to 18 that caused some to go a little wide & have to lift slightly.
It also looks like its fairly challenging for the drivers which is nice.
MikeeCZ
17th June 2016, 11:38
what about top speeds?
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
17th June 2016, 11:40
Most were hitting 340-350kph on the run down to turn 1.
Miki
17th June 2016, 11:40
This weekend is going to be lot interesting. How much track improves is the question for all the teams as they dont have any particular data Also in next session i want to see how much visibility effects here. With all the trees it might be some what difficult
frood19 (@frood19)
17th June 2016, 11:43
whatever else is wrong with this race/track, it does look pretty spectacular. it could become an iconic race just from the visual aspect. if there was no DRS i think it would be an exciting track too (but i guess we’ll just see lots of motorway passes early in the race and then big gaps opening up a la russia).
kpcart
17th June 2016, 12:10
Ala every track in f1
ColdFly F1 (@)
17th June 2016, 11:52
Interesting to see the McLarens and Sainz up there.
Not sure if they can keep those positions when all go for quali practice; there must be another 4sec which Mercedes can find.
FanatikosF1 (@fanatikosf1)
17th June 2016, 11:53
Guys, can please someone explain to me why on earth is the speed trap halfway trough the long straight and not just before braking for turn one???
A lot of people saying F1 isn’t that fast anymore (It’s not the case)! Well show them a top speed of 370 km/h on the bloody screen!!! Not 310 km/h on this ridiculously long straight!
FanatikosF1 (@fanatikosf1)
17th June 2016, 11:59
I know it’s not a low downforce track but still… 310 km/h???
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
17th June 2016, 12:00
@fanatikosf1 I think it’s because of the 2 fast corners leading onto the straight, Maybe they were expecting them to be a bit more of a challenge so wanted to see the exit speeds.
Its the same at Spa where the speed trap is at the top of Eau Rouge rather than towards the end of the straight before Les Combes.
Alex W
18th June 2016, 6:56
Because the speed trap is not meant to measure top speed, it is meant to measure a benchmark speed well after a corner exit… top speed can be seen in telemetry but is governed mostly by gear ratio so not as important/educational. Downforce is a factor in the speedtrap but not top speed(here atleast)
The Blade Runner (@)
17th June 2016, 12:06
This is that point of the weekend where I see the McLaren FP1 times and a little part of me thinks (hopes, dreams even) that they have found “something” and can now claw their way back to Mercedes.
It’s the hope that kills you!
Miguel Bento
17th June 2016, 12:12
How I understand you… You’re not alone!
Robbie (@robbie)
17th June 2016, 12:29
Or, it’s the hope that keeps you/them alive, for without at least hope, what have they got?
drmouse (@drmouse)
17th June 2016, 12:26
Amen!
barkun (@barkun)
17th June 2016, 12:39
same feeling over here !
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
17th June 2016, 12:57
I bloody well hope this isn’t the highlight of my weekend.
Monosodico (@monosodico)
17th June 2016, 14:16
we are legion
The Blade Runner (@)
17th June 2016, 14:50
Thanks guys. I have the rocket-red coloured Prozac on-hand just in case!
x303 (@x303)
18th June 2016, 13:33
Guys, we are not alone. I promised myself to wear my rocket red t-shirt on mondays following a McLaren victory…
I want to show off my colours and be proud again. Until then, I’ll support them !
Jorge H. (@kobe08)
17th June 2016, 14:39
+1 :)
Pavel Goubski (@pav78)
17th June 2016, 15:22
McLaren look good initially, but will probably struggle in the race like Montreal, having to save fuel or tyres or both………….
Mike (@grippgoat)
17th June 2016, 18:47
Before I clicked into this article, a little voice in my head said I’d see Alonso in fifth. Not because Mc has found anything, but because he’d figure the track out faster than most. That voice wasn’t far off!
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
17th June 2016, 12:06
Ricciardo is feeling the pressure, ever so slightly.
BakuF1
17th June 2016, 12:26
Anyone has seen the F1 2016 Codemaster hot lap from RIC ? During his commentary he says about T15: “You can win a lot of time if you take this corner right.” Maybe should have mentioned: “You can write off the back of your car if you take it wrong… ” :-)
Gabriel (@naylamp)
17th June 2016, 15:19
He also said “someone will crash, hopefully not me”. Although he was talking about the castle section.
Sridhar
17th June 2016, 12:29
Dont like to say this but Riccardio seems to be pushing the limit as he is very much under pressure to come back from his debacle and upstage Max. He is acting cocky and his likeability quotient is coming down.
It was never expected that Baku will be a strong track for RBR and RIC has probably wrecked his chances for the weekend.
Ferrari have to battle Williams this time round with Force India in the hunt so seems set for interesting race. McLaren seems a joker in the pack – lets see what they can do in the race.
Robbie (@robbie)
17th June 2016, 12:37
I don’t know…look at the headline…’Ricciardo is first’…
Janet54321
17th June 2016, 12:49
Ric is the first of many clashes with the walls this weekend. It would be fun to have a bet on how many (or few) will finish. it will catch the best drivers out.
We hear regulation of not leaving the track but they are all cutting across the tight chicane.
digitalrurouni
17th June 2016, 13:10
Do agree with the cocky part especially on Twitter. But it could be him psyching himself up. That said did I read Hamilton didn’t even do a recce? He just went from simulator to car and that’s it!!!
Aldoid
17th June 2016, 13:40
He said he hasn’t done many laps in the simulator either. According to Hamilton, Merc’s simulator isn’t the best (I’m assuming he’s comparing it to McLaren, who were widely reputed to have the best sim) so he rarely ever drives it as he doesn’t find it representative.
Jorge H. (@kobe08)
17th June 2016, 14:49
He said he did something like 8 laps on he sim, and he doesn’t do recce since 2010. So… nice skills there with an “unknown track”.
Pinak Ghosh (@pinakghosh)
17th June 2016, 14:09
Daniel Ricciardo seems flustered. He knows, he is safe for the moment, but will he continue to be the lead driver in RBR next season, given the strong performance from his teenager teammate (so far)? The irony in it is that this is obviously not new in RBR…the story of the Aussie and the Prodigy.
Mark
18th June 2016, 7:58
I would’ve thought the fact it wont be a strong track for RB did more to kill their chances……not Dan’s crash…..cars are rebuildable.
juampa_valve_rde
17th June 2016, 13:38
Mother of GOD! Nano and Jenson are top ten on a power track!?
Pinak Ghosh (@pinakghosh)
17th June 2016, 14:12
Hold your horses…its just practice.
Tim M (@tim-m)
17th June 2016, 14:34
To me, it says a lot more about Fernando and Jenson’s experience at quickly adapting to a new track than it does about any improvement from McHonda. I hope that I’m wrong!
Pavel Goubski (@pav78)
17th June 2016, 15:22
I agree, and Alonso had not even done any simulator work!
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
17th June 2016, 15:23
90% of tyres were ‘damaged’ during fp1.
Formula1 (@s2g-unit)
17th June 2016, 15:52
@gt-racer I love everyone of your posts.
Do your friends in other teams believe if Michelin or Bridgestone was the supplier that there would have been so many damaged tyres?
anon
17th June 2016, 18:21
@s2g-unit, possibly yes – before this race began, some of the teams were discussing the track configuration and mentioned that some sections could create similar loading conditions to the ones which caused the sidewalls of Michelin’s tyres to rupture during the 2005 Indianapolis GP.
ETM
17th June 2016, 21:33
Impossible. Not enough grip in the new pavement. Not enough speed in the turns to create the downforce needed to load the tires that hard. No long sustained high speed turns to create excessive heat inside the tire sidewalls.
anon
18th June 2016, 12:09
I wouldn’t say it is impossible given the failures in Indianapolis are now not thought to have been related to thermal build up within the tyre sidewall or caused directly by high lateral loading in that corner. Rather, the indication is that it was due to the interaction of the tyre with secondary spikes in loading caused by ridges present through that corner.