Brazilian GP 2015

NOVEMBER 13, 2015

Practice 1 Report - The Club of 1

Lewis Hamilton, Brazilian GP 2015
© Active Pictures

 

Only one driver was able to lap below the one minute 14 second barrier in Free Practice 1, and that was Lewis Hamilton who clocked a 1:13.543 in his Mercedes. He was much quicker than his teammate Nico Rosberg and Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel who rounded out the top three.

The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Red Bull Renault Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat. Williams Mercedes Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. Ferrari Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. McLaren Honda Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. Force India Mercedes Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. Toro Rosso Renault Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. Lotus Mercedes Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado. Marussia Ferrari Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi. Sauber Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr.

This is, of course, the home race for Massa and Nasr, and the latter is participating in his first Brazilian Grand Prix.

"It's always a big pleasure to be here," Massa said, "racing at home, where I was actually born, where I actually started learning anything about racing on the other side of the wall on the go-kart track and then to have a chance to race here, in a place where I remember going to the grandstand and standing up every lap that a Brazilian guy was passing, so it's really a dream for us to race here.

"A big welcome for Felipe (Nasr) for his first time here and I'm really looking forward to do an amazing race. Fortunately, I managed to win two times here and I'm really looking forward to having another opportunity to achieve another victory here, which is like a dream for us. So we'll try everything we can."

Jolyon Palmer replaced Grosjean in FP1, and he was the first out on the 2.677mile (4.309-km) 15turn Carlos Pace Autodrom.

15 minutes into the session, Rosberg set a time of 1:15.940. At this stage only the Toro Rosso teammates were up on the board with Rosberg who had now done a 1:15.564.

17 minutes into the session, Hamilton took over first with a 1:15.102 as Rosberg lowered his own time to a 1:15.124.

20 minutes into the session, and the Mercedes drivers were on the move as Hamilton did a 1:14.675 and Rosberg a 1:14.974.

23 minutes into the session, everybody was on the track except Raikkonen and Stevens.

30 minutes into the session, the top 10 were: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo, Perez, Kvyat, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Button and Bottas. Everybody was using the medium compound Pirelli slicks with the white sidewalls. Raikkonen was last having done 4 laps but not having set a lap time.

38 minutes into the session, Raikkonen headed out while the rest of the drivers remained in the garages as the midpoint of FP1 approached. He moved into fourth place with a 1:15.110.

45 minutes into the session, Raikkonen improved to a 1:14.735 to take over third while Verstappen moved into fourth.

Midway through FP1 the top six were: Hamilton, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Vettel and Ricciardo.

With 36 minutes remaining in the session, Vettel went into first with a 1:14.233. But Rosberg then beat that with a 1:14.090. Vettel improved to a 1:14.168.

With 29 minutes remaining in the session, Hamilton went to the front with a 1:13.543. Rosberg lowered his time to a 1:14.062.

Ricciardo improved to fourth place, so with 15 minutes remaining in the session, the top six were now: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Kvyat. Bottas, Verstappen, Hulkenberg and Maldonado rounded out the top 10.

With 10 minutes remaining in the session, Raikkonen had a spin at Turn 4.

With 6 minutes remaining in the session, every driver was out on the circuit.

The top 10 at the end of FP1 were: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Kvyat, Bottas, Verstappen, Hulkenberg and Maldonado.