Max fourth in Paul Ricard FP1

Published on 21 June 2019 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen started his French Grand Prix weekend with a fourth place in the opening Friday practice session at the Paul Ricard Circuit. Lewis Hamilton was quickest ahead of Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) completed the top three.

Apart from the customary installation lap at the start of FP1, the fans have to wait for almost half an hour before seeking Max in action at Le Castellet. When the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver heads out in the RB15, he does so on the medium Pirelli compound. When the first set of tyres is handed back to Pirellis, Max is the quickest driver on the mediums and he is second overall. Valtteri Bottas is quickest up until that point. The Mercedes ace set his time on the soft compound.

The second part of the session sees the lap times improve as more drivers opt for the soft tyre. With less then half an hour to go, Max heads out on track for a stint of performance runs. This time his RB15 sports the soft Pirellis. The Dutchman utilises the extra grip with several purple sectors and, initially, P2. In an attempt to further better his lap time, Max spins in turn 8 and returns to the pits. In the remainder of the session, he opts for a used set of the soft tyres but is unable to improve upon his fastest lap and thus ends the session in fourth.

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Results first free practice France: