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Pierre Gasly Tops First Practice Session at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly emerged as an unexpected frontrunner during the initial practice session for the Formula 1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, clocking an impressive time of 1m29.239s in his Alpine car.
In a session where McLaren was anticipated to lead the charge, Gasly’s performance surprised many, as he edged out Lando Norris, who finished just 0.007 seconds behind in second place. McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri claimed the fourth spot, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari rounded out the top three.
Piastri set an early benchmark at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, but Norris, despite expressing uncertainty about his car’s performance earlier in the week, quickly took over the top position. Norris admitted he was not feeling fully prepared for this fifth round of the championship but still found himself leading the drivers’ standings by a narrow margin of three points.
As Norris and Piastri tested each other’s limits, other notable drivers such as George Russell from Mercedes and reigning champion Max Verstappen were also pushing for competitive times. Russell initially set a solid pace, outperforming both McLarens until the second half of the session, when soft tires were deployed across the grid.
The latter part of the session saw Norris briefly reclaim his spot at the top with a fast lap, only for Gasly to raise the stakes and take first place with his stellar effort.
Williams showed promising form as well, with Alex Albon finishing in fifth, while Carlos Sainz held seventh place, positioning himself between the two McLaren drivers.
Lewis Hamilton faced challenges, finishing eighth and lagging behind Ferrari’s Leclerc by over half a second. Verstappen continued to struggle with his Red Bull car’s balance, ending the session in ninth place, just behind Yuki Tsunoda, who secured tenth.
Liam Lawson, who had been relegated from Red Bull to Racing Bulls in a swap for Tsunoda prior to the Japanese Grand Prix, finished in 11th, narrowly missing out on matching Tsunoda’s pace.
F1 Saudi Arabian GP – FP1 Results
Photos from Saudi Arabian GP – Practice
Stay updated with the latest news and developments as the weekend progresses in Jeddah.
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