Max is the fastest
In the first hour of F1 cars on the Losail International Circuit, the drivers take their time getting to know the track. With each lap, lap times plummet in Qatar. In the first half of the training, everyone drives on the harder tires, so that a layer of rubber is deposited on the asphalt and the teams can collect a number of laps of data.
Hamilton reports over the radio that he does not have much power. So it doesn’t look like Lewis is riding the same bike as the one he had in Brazil. He also has an engine that went into the car for the first time in Turkey and is probably now in the back of the car.
After half an hour, the soft tires appear. Max Verstappen is then at the top from his first lap. Hamilton has to abort his last fast lap as he has damage to his front wing, the curbs are aggressive on this track causing damage to several cars. Verstappen therefore remains in P1, four tenths ahead of Pierre Gasly, who sets the second fastest time. So we can’t deduce much from the times in this session yet. Later today we will find out more about the relationship between Verstappen and Hamilton.
1st free practice of the Qatar GP 2021
01. Max Verstappen
02. Pierre Gasly
03. Valtteri Bottas
04. Lewis Hamilton
05. Yuki Tsunoda
Dates and times of the 2021 Qatar GP
Friday 19 November 2021
2nd free practice: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Saturday 20 November 2021
3rd free practice: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Qualification: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Race: 3:00 p.m.
