Sebastian Vettel was quickest in the first practice session for the Russian Grand Prix but Red Bull and Mercedes also put in competitive showings.
Vettel was only five-hundredths of a second faster than Max Verstappen following their runs on the hyper-soft tyres. Both Red Bull drivers, however, will have to take grid penalties on Sunday after fitting new engines for this weekend’s race.Lewis Hamilton was three-tenths of a second slower in third place but his set his time on the soft tyres: the hardest rubber available this weekend, three ‘stages’ harder than Vettel’s hyper-softs. Hamilton’s lap time compared particularly favourably to Vettel’s in the final sector, though several drivers on hyper-softs found the tyres began to wilt by the end of the lap.
While Vettel stuck to the hyper-softs throughout the session, Kimi Raikkonen switched to ultra-softs for his second run and ended up seventh-quickest. Esteban Ocon’s Force India pipped him to sixth place behind Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo.
The top 10 was completed by Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg – who pitted before the end of the session with a technical problem on his Renault – and Sauber’s recently-announced 2019 driver Antonio Giovinazzi. The latter was one of four test drivers in action during the session.
The others included Giovinazzi’s fellow 2019 driver Lando Norris, who had a brief spin in Fernando Alonso’s McLaren on his way to 13th place. Artem Markelov increased the contingent of Russian drivers on the track at their home race to two but was the best part of a second off Hulkenberg in 15th. And Nicholas Latifi returned for Force India, ending up 17th.
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| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Best lap | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’34.488 | 19 | |
| 2 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’34.538 | 0.050 | 22 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’34.818 | 0.330 | 23 |
| 4 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’34.999 | 0.511 | 28 |
| 5 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’35.524 | 1.036 | 11 |
| 6 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1’35.663 | 1.175 | 24 |
| 7 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’35.696 | 1.208 | 19 |
| 8 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’36.196 | 1.708 | 21 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1’36.274 | 1.786 | 18 |
| 10 | 36 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’36.712 | 2.224 | 22 |
| 11 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1’36.816 | 2.328 | 23 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’36.944 | 2.456 | 25 |
| 13 | 47 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Renault | 1’37.022 | 2.534 | 25 |
| 14 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’37.054 | 2.566 | 24 |
| 15 | 46 | Artem Markelov | Renault | 1’37.183 | 2.695 | 22 |
| 16 | 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Renault | 1’37.187 | 2.699 | 27 |
| 17 | 34 | Nicholas Latifi | Force India-Mercedes | 1’37.206 | 2.718 | 24 |
| 18 | 35 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams-Mercedes | 1’37.225 | 2.737 | 25 |
| 19 | 28 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’37.944 | 3.456 | 28 |
| 20 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 1’39.137 | 4.649 | 13 |
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First practice visual gaps
Sebastian Vettel – 1’34.488
+0.050 Max Verstappen – 1’34.538
+0.330 Lewis Hamilton – 1’34.818
+0.511 Valtteri Bottas – 1’34.999
+1.036 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’35.524
+1.175 Esteban Ocon – 1’35.663
+1.208 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’35.696
+1.708 Kevin Magnussen – 1’36.196
+1.786 Nico Hulkenberg – 1’36.274
+2.224 Antonio Giovinazzi – 1’36.712
+2.328 Romain Grosjean – 1’36.816
+2.456 Pierre Gasly – 1’36.944
+2.534 Lando Norris – 1’37.022
+2.566 Charles Leclerc – 1’37.054
+2.695 Artem Markelov – 1’37.183
+2.699 Stoffel Vandoorne – 1’37.187
+2.718 Nicholas Latifi – 1’37.206
+2.737 Sergey Sirotkin – 1’37.225
+3.456 Brendon Hartley – 1’37.944
+4.649 Lance Stroll – 1’39.137
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
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2018 Russian Grand Prix
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Jere (@jerejj)
28th September 2018, 10:55
Only three tenths off last season’s pole time. Last time out in Singapore the ultimate improvement was surprisingly nearly three and a half seconds, but I don’t expect a similar amount of gain to happen this time around.
John
28th September 2018, 11:28
Last season’s pole time was a 1:33.1 so 1.3 seconds off the pole time not 3 tenths
Jere (@jerejj)
28th September 2018, 14:11
@John Yes, I realized that later. My bad. For a moment, I remembered, it was in the low-1m34s, but it, of course, was indeed in a low-1m33.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
28th September 2018, 10:58
Am I understanding correctly that the hypers can’t last a single fast lap?
Joao (@johnmilk)
28th September 2018, 11:30
are you surprised?
Mashiat (@mashiat)
28th September 2018, 13:19
@m-bagattini Watch the teams still go 20 laps on the hypers in the race to make it a traditionally boring 1 stop.
Debapriya Deb (@debapriya-deb)
28th September 2018, 11:23
Although FP1 doesn’t count for much, but still an impressive showing by Antonio Giovinazzi.
Jorge H
28th September 2018, 11:42
Keith, you really need to add the tire information to that table (best laps). Otherwise, it’s hard to read. We readers have to look at it while remembering the tire information you provided in text above.
Keep on with the good work :)
David BR (@david-br)
28th September 2018, 12:07
Did Hamilton set any kind of comparable time on hypersofts? Given the gap between hypersoft and soft (BBC has 1 to 2 seconds??) that .3 advantage in fact seems seriously deficient. If Mercedes can get the soft tyre to perform and the hypersoft is deteriorating, Ferrari’s tyre selection strategy is already beginning to look problematic.
Joao (@johnmilk)
28th September 2018, 12:15
No, Hamilton and Bottas only ran stints with the ultra and the normal soft
David BR (@david-br)
28th September 2018, 12:19
@johnmilk OK thanks! first practice is a bit early for me :)
Joao (@johnmilk)
28th September 2018, 12:27
@david-br Formula 1 twitter account uploads the info at the end of the sessions, here
BNK Racing
28th September 2018, 12:29
I know its only FP1 but Vandoorne isn’t supposed to let Norris beat his time. Considering it is the only session Norris will get, Vandoorne should have made a point to smash what ever time Norris posted. Good luck finding a seat next year when you can’t even beat the rookie who is replacing you in free practice.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
28th September 2018, 13:20
Would McLaren have replaced Vandoorne with Norris if they didn’t think he was better?
BNK Racing
28th September 2018, 15:12
Is that a rhetorical question? That is the point I am making.
wobs
28th September 2018, 14:40
Ouuch for Vandoorne, hes been in that car all season, but good on Norris.
It’s just more evidence that Vandoorne is average, a lovely guy, but not a top driver.
BNK Racing
28th September 2018, 15:14
Such a shame, I really wanted to think it was the car and Alonso’s preferential treatment for his poor performances. Stick him in the Kovaleinen catgetory of drivers.
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
28th September 2018, 14:54
People read too much into FP1 times, especially when test drivers outperform team mates.
For example I am sure both Vandoorne and Leclerc were not looking to smash laptimes but get car set up right.
BNK Racing
28th September 2018, 15:19
So a test driver that sits in the car 4 times a season can set up a car quicker and better than the guy in the seat all year? (referring to Vandoorne)
Martin
28th September 2018, 17:30
I feel like you fundamentally misunderstand free practice, especially free practice 1