Max third in Sochi FP1

Published on 24 September 2021 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen finished the opening practice session of the Russian Grand Prix in third place. Valtteri Bottas was quickest in Sochi, with Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton in second.

Twelve minutes into the session, Max heads out for his first lap of the Sochi Autodrom. His first flying lap, completed on the soft Pirelli compound, grants him P4. A couple of laps later, the Dutchman follows up with the quickest time of the session thus far.

After a quick visit to the pits, Max returns to the track on the same set of softs he started the session. He betters his lap time but is soon toppled by Valtteri Bottas.

With fifteen minutes to go, Max once again heads out on a set of the soft Pirellis to set his best lap of the morning. Nevertheless, the Mercedes remain at the top of the timing sheets. In the closing stages, the lap times are no longer bettered as the teams shift their focus on long runs.

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Results first free practice Russia: