Max quickest in Sepang FP1: "Balance felt good"

Published on 29 September 2017 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the opening session of the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Dutchman clocked his quickest effort around the Sepang circuit (1:48.962) on intermediates. The Red Bull Racing driver was seven tenths quicker than team mate Daniel Ricciardo and third placed Fernando Alonso (McLaren).

“It went OK. We started with too much front wing so once we solved that, the balance was fairly good”, explained Max. “Despite the rain, we managed a good amount of laps, even though it was slippery. This year it’s more difficult to get heat into the interns but it went well in the end.”

At the start of the free practice one, it is raining and the track is too wet to drive. The start of the session is delayed but after the safety car has completed a few laps of the circuit, the session is underway, half an hour after its originally scheduled time.

Sean Gelael (Scuderia Toro Rosso) and Charles Leclerc (Sauber) are the relatively new faces on FP1 duty, with Pierre Gasly making his Grand Prix debut for Scuderia Toro Rosso, replacing Daniil Kvyat.

Although the conditions are improving constantly, it stays quiet on track and at the halfway mark no lap times are on the board. Daniel Ricciardo is the first driver to clock a time.

In the end, it is his younger team mate, Max, who sets the pace on the inters with both Red Bulls topping the timing sheets after FP1.

Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang International Circuit - Friday 29 September

FREE PRACTICE 1 RESULTS

01 33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:48.962          11
02  3 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:49.719 +0.757s  12
03 14 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda               1:50.597 +1.635s  6
04  7 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                     1:50.734 +1.772s  12
05  5 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                     1:51.009 +2.047s  12
06 44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                    1:51.518 +2.556s  8
07 77 Valtteri Bottas     Mercedes                    1:52.007 +3.045s  10
08 18 Lance Stroll        Williams Mercedes           1:52.295 +3.333s  9
09 10 Pierre Gasly        Toro Rosso                  1:52.380 +3.418s  14
10 46 Sergey Sirotkin SIR Renault                     1:53.521 +4.559s  10
11 30 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                     1:53.625 +4.663s  10
12  2 Stoffel Vandoorne   McLaren Honda               1:53.771 +4.809s  10
13 31 Esteban Ocon        Force India Mercedes        1:53.896 +4.934s  6
14 38 Sean Gelael         Toro Rosso                  1:54.610 +5.648s  13
15 11 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes        1:54.669 +5.707s  4
16 37 Charles Leclerc     Sauber Ferrari              1:55.280 +6.318s  10
17 94 Pascal Wehrlein     Sauber Ferrari              1:55.652 +6.690s  10
18  8 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari                1:56.211 +7.249s  8
19 50 Antonio Giovinazzi  Haas Ferrari                1:56.339 +7.377s  6
20 19 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes                             3

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