Canadian GP 2014

JUNE 6, 2014

Practice 1 Report - Forza Ferrari

Fernando Alonso
© The Cahier Archive

 

Fernando Alonso clocked the fastest lap time in Free Practice 1 in his Ferrari and relegated Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to second and third places. This was the fourth time this year that Alonso has set the best time in a practice session.

As always, a number of fans from New York and other parts of the USA were in Montreal for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix and attended the opening practice session on Friday morning.

The ambient temperature at the start of the 90-minute session was 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Centigrade.) After a drizzles on Thursday and Friday morning, the weather improved and the sun came out as the clouds cover broke apart.

Caterham test driver Alexander Rossi drove Kamui Kobayashi's car in FP1.

Williams driver Felipe Massa was first out on the track 2.709‘mile (4.361-km) 14‘turn track.

Pirelli's soft compound slick with the yellow sidewall was the tire choice for FP1.

After doing an installation lap or two, the drivers headed for the pits for the usual checks on their cars.

14 minutes into the session, Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) set the first time of the session: 1:23.249. On his next lap he clocked a 1:21.061. Romain Grosjean was also out lapping in his Lotus and posted a 1:22.504, and then improved to a 1:20.919. Magnussen responded with a 1:19.820.

19 minutes into the session, Massa, in car number 19, went to the top with a time of 1:19.575. Meanwhile Sergio Perez spun his Force India at Turn 8.

22 minutes into the session, Lewis Hamilton turned a 1:18.997 in his Mercedes. His teammate Nico Rosberg moved into second with a time of 1:19.034. They would improve to 1:18.088 and 1:18.138 respectively.

A number of drivers were sliding off the track or missing the apex of turns, and the most popular spot to do that was the final two turns 13 and 14.

30 minutes into the session, the top 10 were: Hamilton, Rosberg, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), Perez, Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Jenson Button (McLaren), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and Valtteri Bottas (Williams).

31 minutes into the session, everybody was in the pits preparing for the next rounds of laps.

42 minutes into the session, Daniil Kvyat broke ranks and headed out of the pits in his Toro Rosso. Magnussen was next to go out.

With almost nobody having turned any laps, the top 10 midway through FP1 were the same as they had been 15 minutes earlier: Hamilton, Rosberg, Alonso, Vergne, Ricciardo, Perez, Hulkenberg, Button, Vettel and Bottas.

With 39 minutes remaining in the session, Magnussen moved up to third with a time of 1:18.518, and Button to fifth with a 1:18.715.

With 34 minutes remaining in the session, Button grabbed third place with a 1:18.446.

With 33 minutes remaining in the session, Jules Bianchi drove slowly back to the pits in his vibrating Marussia after nearly skimming the wall.

With 30 minutes remaining in the session, Rosberg took the lead with a time of 1:17.922, and then lowered that to a 1:17.705 on his next lap.

With 28 minutes remaining in the session, Hamilton regained the lead with a 1:17.254 while Alonso improved to a 1:17.911 and Vettel to a 1:18.131.

With 25 minutes remaining in the session, Alonso claimed second with a 1:17.375.

With 21 minutes remaining in the session, Alonso took top honors with a 1:17.238.

With 19 minutes remaining in the session, Hamilton was on a very quick lap but locked up his brakes going into the hairpin and aborted the run.

With 13 minutes remaining in the session, Bottas jumped from 16th to ninth and then to fifth with a time of 1:18.361.

With 3 minutes remaining in the session, Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel were all out on track as were Bottas, Button and Magnussen. That was the top seven at the time. Hamilton would pit but the rest continued lapping but could not improve on their times. The only change was Ricciardo slotting into sixth,

The top 10 at the end of FP1 were: Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo, Button, Magnussen, Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) and Vergne.