Premature end to Max' FP1 in Baku

Published on 27 April 2018 by Stefan Meens

The first free practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a short affair for Max Verstappen. The Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver crashed his RB14 in the narrow streets of Baku. “Max did not brake ultra-late compared to his other laps”, was Max’ team boss Christian Horner’s first reaction.

Up until his brush with the wall, Max was on the pace on the soft compound in a session that was topped by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez, who surprised by putting his Force India in third.

At the start of session, Daniel Ricciardo is one of the first drivers on track. His RB14 is sporting a couple of aero rakes to measure the aerodynamic flows of the front wheels.

Meanwhile Max, after the usual installation lap, has ventured out for a run on the hard Pirelli tyres. The Dutchman sets the fastest lap somewhat surprisingly as the second and third placed drivers, Bottas and Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, clock their times on the super-soft Pirellis.

Moments later, trouble strikes for Max. As he breaks into turn 5, he loses control of the rear and slides into the barrier. Although the damage seems minimal, the session is over for the youngster. On top of that, the car’s gearbox is stuck in first, meaning the car has to be lifted over the barriers; a lengthier process compared to the usual pushing away by the marshalls.

In the remainder of FP1, we see several driver have hairy moments. Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz (Renault), Brendon Hartley (Scuderia Toro Rosso) and Romain Grosjean (Haas) all out brake themselves or miss turn. Although Grosjean brushes the wall, he is able to continue without much damage.

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Results first free practice Azerbaijan: