Australian GP-EL1: Hamilton and Mercedes dominate

The new F1 meeting the 2017 regulations returned to the track this Friday morning for the first free practice session of the Australian Grand Prix on the Albert Park track in Melbourne.

The opportunity to review the new products seen during winter testing in Catalonia, including the famous T-Wing (at Mercedes, Ferrari or even Haas), or shark fins. A session, contested without any incident on the track, which allowed the two Mercedes W08s to Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas to rise to the forefront.

If the very first time of the weekend had been to the credit of Lance stroll (Williams) in 1’33″380, after 20′ of driving, Lewis Hamilton quickly entered the first places by improving the reference of Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), passed in 1’28”294 before the triple world champion completed a lap in 1’26”478, then in 1’25”535.

The response from his teammate Valtteri Bottas was not long in coming since the former Williams resident, on super-softs, achieved a lap in 1'25"142, and dispossessed the Briton of the provisional best time.

It was finally shortly before the last half hour that the pace accelerated with Daniel Ricciardo, on super-soft tires, who was the first to cross the 1'25" lap barrier in 1'24"886. A time that will only last a few moments, since Bottas, first to pass a set of ultra-soft tires, improves to 1’24”803.

This new benchmark was immediately beaten by Hamilton in 1'24"220, 0"583 faster than his Finnish teammate and also on ultra-soft tires. This time should be compared to the time established in EL1 in 2016 in 1’29″725.

Daniel Ricciardo climbs to third place ahead of his teammate Max Verstappen, fourth in 1’25”246. A little more discreet than in winter testing in Barcelona, ​​the Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel ranked fifth and sixth.

Felipe Massa(Williams), Romain Grosjean (Haas), Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) and Sergio Pérez (Force India), who completes the top 10 more than two seconds behind, follow in the ranking. All these drivers completed their best lap on super-soft tires. THE Toro Rosso de Sainz and Kvyat failed to reach the top 10 in front of Lance Stroll.

At McLaren, who continued the aero work on his MCL32, Fernando Alonso ranks 14th at 2″8, while having completed 17 laps. Marcus Ericsson places the first Sauber in 15th position ahead Esteban Ocon (Force India), who made up for the delay at the start of FP1 in the second part of the session by accumulating 23 laps.

Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber), Jolyon Palmer (Renault), who finished with six short laps on the clock of the R.S. 17 after a problem with a cardan bellows and Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren) clocked at 4″4 and with 13 completed laps, bring up the rear.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: END OF # FP1

First practice session of 2017 = DONE#AusGP # F1isBack  pic.twitter.com/mNQGxHTJlv

- Formula 1 (@ F1) March 24, 2017

EL1 classification Australian Grand Prix