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FP1: Mercedes has the edge over Red Bull Racing

FP1: Mercedes has the edge over Red Bull Racing

  • Published on 11 Oct 2013 06:39
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg led the Red Bull pair of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in an incident-filled first practice session in Japan on Friday morning.

Hamilton quickly took control of proceedings at the challenging Suzuka circuit, setting a series of fastest times, culminating in 1m 34.157s to beat team mate Rosberg's 1m 34.487s by 0.330s. The German briefly overshot the chicane towards the end of the 90 minutes while seeking to go faster.

The Red Bulls weren't far behind, however, with Sebastian Vettel on 1m 34.768s and Mark Webber right on his tail with 1m 34.787s in an RB9 built-up around a new chassis following his crash and fire during last week's race in Korea.

Felipe Massa led Ferrari's challenge with 1m 35.126s, with hard-trying team mate Fernando Alonso wheel-locking his way to 1m 35.154s. Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen were also in the mix for Lotus, with 1m 35.179s and 1m 35.364s respectively. Sergio Perez was ninth for McLaren with 1m 35.450s as Daniel Ricciardo pushed his Toro Rosso ahead of Jenson Button's McLaren to complete the top 10. The Australian lapped in 1m 35.635s compared to the Briton's 1m 35.868s. Nico Hulkenberg was the final runner below 1m 36s, with 1m 35.900s for Sauber.

Jean-Eric Vergne was 12th in the second Toro Rosso on 1m 36.066s, followed by Adrian Sutil's Force India on 1m 36.165s, Pastor Maldonado's Williams on 1m 36.178s, Valtteri Bottas' Williams on 1m 36.340s, Paul di Resta's Force India on 1m 36.399s and Esteban Gutierrez's Sauber on 1m 36.760s.

Maldonado completed only part of the session, as his Williams shed its left rear wheel at Turn 14, the Spoon Curve, shortly after leaving the pits. Marussia's Jules Bianchi and Caterham's Giedo van der Garde also had their sessions curtailed early as both drivers were caught out at the tricky Degner 2 corner. Bianchi went off with nearly an hour remaining, hitting the tyre wall and removing his front wing and left front wheel, while soon after Maldonado's drama Van der Garde went straight into the gravel, although he managed to aoid hitting anything.

Max Chilton also had a spin while learning the track in his Marussia, so at the back the order read Heikki Kovalainen on 1m 37.595s as he deputised for Charles Pic at Caterham, Bianchi on 1m 37.629s, Van der Garde on 1m 38.025s and Chilton on 1m 38.763s.

Everybody set their times on Pirelli's orange-marked hard compound tyres with the white-marked medium compound rubber set to get its first outing in the afternoon FP2 session. (Formula1.com)
F1 News Fernando Alonso Jenson Button Valtteri Bottas Felipe Massa Romain Grosjean Pastor Maldonado Daniel Ricciardo Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Sebastian Vettel Sergio Perez Esteban Gutierrez Ferrari Lotus F1 Mercedes Pirelli Williams Force India McLaren Sauber Marussia

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860
2
Mercedes
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406
4
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302
5
Aston Martin
280
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7
Williams
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Alpha Tauri
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Alfa Romeo Racing
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Bahrain
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia
Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco
Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria
Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom
Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary
Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy
Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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Spain
3 - Nov 5
Brazil
Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
-
Italy
-
Italy
-
Italy
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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Spain Circuit de Catalunya
3 - Nov 5
Brazil Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
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Italy Adria International Raceway
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Driver profile

ES Fernando Alonso 14
  • Country Spain
  • Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (42)
  • Place of b. Oviedo, Spain
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
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