Max tenth in chaotic China FP1

Published on 15 April 2016 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen started his Chinese Grand Prix weekend with P10 in the first free practice session. Nico Rosberg topped the timing sheets, two seconds faster than the Dutchman in his Scuderia Toro Rosso. Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel completed the top three. Despite the usual suspects at the business of the leader boards, it was a chaotic FP1, which was twice interrupted at length by red flag situations caused by punctures.

“It's a shame we weren’t able to do many laps due to the two red flags. The track was also dirty with a lot of sand”, explains Max to Verstappen.nl. “In the last six minutes I was able to do some laps on the softer tyres but due to a small technical issue I lost some time. I think it will all be fine. The car isn’t optimal yet, but we'll work on that so I'm looking forward to FP2.”

Right at the start of free practice one, the usual installation laps are completed by the teams. Nevertheless, the opening fifteen minutes pass fairly quiet until Felipe Massa skids of the track after his left rear tyre comes of the wheel. The session is halted – interrupting Max' first flying lap – and the marshals are able to clean the debris caused by the Williams.

With an hour to go, the drivers are allowed back on track. Max laps the Shanghai Internantional Circuit six times, setting a 1:42.3 on the medium Pirellis. Then, with forty minutes on the clock, Felipe Massa again suffers a puncture, followed by a puncture for Renault's Kevin Magnussen. The session is once again stopped.

After a long red flag in which the track is cleaned and thoroughly inspected, FP1 is once again resumed. Max heads out on the soft tyre for a few laps. His fastest lap, a 1:40.232, grants him P10 at the end of the session.

Chinese Grand Prix - Shanghai International Circuit - Friday 15 April

RESULTS FREE PRACTICE ONE
 P No Driver             Team          Time       Gap       Laps 
 1  6 Nico Rosberg       Mercedes      1:38.037             16 
 2 44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes      1:38.183   +0.146s   16 
 3  5 Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari       1:38.665   +0.628s   12 
 4  3 Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull      1:39.061   +1.024s   13 
 5  7 Kimi Räikkönen     Ferrari       1:39.155   +1.118s   11 
 6 26 Daniil Kvyat       Red Bull      1:39.625   +1.588s   14 
 7 55 Carlos Sainz       Toro Rosso    1:39.676   +1.639s   12 
 8 22 Jenson Button      McLaren       1:39.974   +1.937s   11 
 9 27 Nico Hulkenberg    Force India   1:40.169   +2.132s   13 
10 33 Max Verstappen     Toro Rosso    1:40.232   +2.195s   13 
11 11 Sergio Perez       Force India   1:40.347   +2.310s   15 
12 14 Fernando Alonso    McLaren       1:40.538   +2.501s   11 
13 77 Valtteri Bottas    Williams      1:40.828   +2.791s   10 
14  8 Romain Grosjean    Haas          1:41.358   +3.321s    9 
15  9 Marcus Ericsson    Sauber        1:41.393   +3.356s   18 
16 88 Rio Haryanto       Manor         1:41.614   +3.577s   20 
17 30 Jolyon Palmer      Renault       1:41.816   +3.779s   16 
18 94 Pascal Wehrlein    Manor         1:42.908   +4.871s   14 
19 12 Felipe Nasr        Sauber        1:42.980   +4.943s    8 
20 20 Kevin Magnussen    Renault                             6 
21 21 Esteban Gutierrez  Haas                                2 
22 19 Felipe Massa       Williams                            4 

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