Spirited Leclerc Claims Best Time In Dramatic Monza GP Opening Practice
6th September 2019
It was his first return to the cockpit since he dedicated his victory at Spa-Francorchamps to the memory of his close friend Frenchman Anthoine Hubert who died after crashing in a Formula Two race
- Charles Leclerc delighted a rain-soaked crowd on Friday when he claimed the best time for Ferrari in a dramatic opening free practice at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix
- Red Bull new boy Alex Albon was fifth ahead of former team-mate Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and Max Verstappen, in the second Red Bull and four-time champion German Sebastian Vettel in the second Ferrari
- Verstappen and Kvyat topped the early times before Sainz and then the leading contenders took over – Leclerc encouraging early Ferrari optimism with his best lap of the morning
MONZA, Italy- Charles
Leclerc delighted a rain-soaked crowd on Friday when he claimed the best time
for Ferrari in a dramatic opening free practice at this weekend’s Italian Grand
Prix.
The 21-year-old Monegasque, who secured his maiden victory
at last Sunday’s tragic Belgian Grand Prix, topped the times ahead of Carlos
Sainz of McLaren, the pair making the most of drying conditions in the final
part of a mostly-treacherous 90 minutes punctuated by three red-flag stoppages.
It was Leclerc's first return to the cockpit since he
dedicated his victory at Spa-Francorchamps to the memory of his close friend
Frenchman Anthoine Hubert who died after crashing in a Formula Two race in
Belgium last Saturday.
Kimi Raikkonen, Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly caused
suspensions of the action by crashing out of control, all escaping unhurt while
several other drivers survived lurid spins in the difficult conditions.
Running on medium compound slick tyres, Leclerc's best lap
in one minute and 27.905 lifted him three-tenths clear of Sainz with rookie
Lando Norris an impressive third for McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton of
Mercedes.
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Red Bull new boy Alex Albon was fifth ahead of former
team-mate Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and Max Verstappen, in the second Red Bull
and four-time champion German Sebastian Vettel in the second Ferrari.
Valtteri Bottas was ninth for Mercedes and Gasly 10th for
Toro Rosso, positions that meant little in the circumstances as F1 resumed
something like normal service on a dismal morning at the Autodromo Nazionale in
the former royal park.
Raikkonen crashed his Alfa Romeo, running on the
much-maligned 'inters', at the Parabolica and, no sooner was the circuit
cleared, than Perez prompted a second red-flag -- crashing at the exit of the
Ascari chicane -- and this was repeated when, on resumption, Gasly lost control
and beached his Toro Rosso on a kerb at the Variante del Rettifilo.
Verstappen and Kvyat topped the early times before Sainz and
then the leading contenders took over – Leclerc encouraging early Ferrari
optimism with his best lap of the morning.