The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the first practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix, which saw all 20 drivers eagerly test their cars ahead of the race weekend. As expected, Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the early pace with a time of 1m 17.425s on a prototype C1 tyre before switching to the mediums.
🏁⏱️#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 FP1 results by driver:
— Racing Union (@TheRacingUnion) June 2, 2023
1. VERSTAPPEN (1:14.606)
2. Perez (+ 0.768)
3. Ocon (+ 0.812)
4. DeVries (+ 0.898)
5. Gasly (+ 0.939)
6. Alonso (+ 0.941)
7. Magnussen (+ 1.083)
8. Leclerc (+ 1.088)
9. Sainz (+ 1.120)
10. Russell (+ 1.147)#F1 pic.twitter.com/x6aMMFOSZb
Both Red Bull drivers then made an early switch to the soft tyre, with Sergio Perez managing to take the top spot for a brief moment. However, it was Max Verstappen who stole the show once again with a time of 1m 14.606s, almost a second faster than Perez.
Esteban Ocon was on form in his Alpine car, finishing third fastest with a time of 1:15.418, ahead of his teammate Pierre Gasly, who finished fifth. The Frenchman is looking confident after his podium finish in Monaco last weekend and will be one to watch come race day.
Nyck de Vries surprised everyone by finishing fourth quickest in his AlphaTauri car.
Fernando Alonso delighted his home crowd by finishing sixth quickest, suggesting that he is getting to grips with his new Aston Martin team. Kevin Magnussen followed in seventh place for Haas, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished eighth and ninth, respectively. Sainz was the only Ferrari driver to run their upgraded package in FP1.
Lewis Hamilton had a quiet session, finishing in 12th place, while his teammate George Russell finished 10th. Lando Norris split the Mercedes drivers in 11th place with the McLaren car.
The second AlphaTauri driver, Yuki Tsunoda, finished 14th, while the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll finished 15th. Valtteri Bottas finished down in 16th place for Alfa Romeo, with McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri finishing in 17th. Nico Hulkenberg finished 18th for Haas, with Williams drivers Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon rounding out the field.
Overall, it was an exciting first practice session that saw Max Verstappen continue to dominate his rivals. However, with two more practice sessions and qualifying still to come, anything could happen before the race on Sunday.
🏁⏱️#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 FP1 results by team:
— Racing Union (@TheRacingUnion) June 2, 2023
1. Red Bull (1:14.606)
2. Alpine (+ 0.812)
3. Alpha Tauri (+ 0.898)
4. Aston Martin (+ 0.939)
5. Haas (+ 1.083)
6. Ferrari (+ 1.088)
7. Mercedes (+ 1.147)
8. McLaren (+1.177)
9. Alfa Romeo (+1.300)
10. Williams (+1.900)#F1 pic.twitter.com/JpNJwgfwJx
