Australian GP: Positive start for Williams Martini in FP1
By Andrew Hooper
March 23 2018
The opening Friday practice session for the 2018 Australian GP would see Williams Martini drivers Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll finish in 12th and 15th. It was an uneventful session with both drivers completing several runs on the ultrasoft tyre. The only moment in the session was where Lance would pit and it was seen work taking place under the front of his car by his mechanics. He was able to return to complete the session. A positive start to the weeknd for the Williams team on a day that has traditionally not see the team looking for outright pace.
Williams
Martini Australian GP Friday 1st Practice
Team Summary:
With the start of the opening practice for the 2018 season the Williams
drivers were amongst the last to come out for their installation laps. There
was a mixture of tyres been used with the drivers having the soft, supersoft
and ultrasoft tyres to choose from. The first drivers to return would be the
Williams pair with both on the ultrasoft tyre. After the first runs the
quickest time was a 1m:25.694 set on the ultrasoft tyre. This would improve
with a 1m:24.959 while for Williams their drivers were currently seventh and
tenth. Both Williams drivers were on longer runs having completed ten laps
with just under an hour remaining. The quickest time would drop to a
1m:24.914
After their first runs the Williams drivers were in tenth and eleventh.
Lance was 0.6 ahead of his team-mate. After a short stop both Williams
drivers would return for their second runs. The new quickest time was a
1m:24.531. Thirty minutes remaining and the quickest time would come down
again with a 1m:24.147. In 2017 the quickest time in this session was a
1m:24.2. A 1m:24.026 would again see the quickest time come down. With their
second runs complete the Williams drivers were tenth and thirteenth. Back
out again both Williams drivers would continue their runs on used ultrasoft
tyres having dropped to twelfth and fifteenth. This is where they would end
the session. A positive start to the season for both Williams drivers.
Sergey would finish ahead of team-mate Lance but it did appear that Lance
had some issues with his car that may have hampered his session.
Lance Stroll:
Lance would complete his installation lap using the soft tyre. Lance would
join his team-mate out on the track also on the ultrasoft tyre. He would set
a 1m:29.403 followed by a 1m:28.246 to move ahead of Sergey. Again he would
improve with a 1m:27.726 to currently be sixth. Lance would improve with a
1m:26.882 currently eighth but when he pitted after his first run he was
tenth. After his stop the front wing would come off and we would see his
mechanics working under the front of his chassis while Lance remained in his
car. Lance would return on a new set of ultrasoft tyres.
Lance would set a 1m:26.636 to be seventh dropping to ninth then tenth. As
Lance continued his run he would drop to thirteenth and would pit after a
nine lap run. This would become fourteenth. Lance was back out on the used
ultrasoft tyres and would continue his long run ending the session in
fifteenth.
Sergey
Sirotkin:
Sergey would come out using the supersoft tyre for his installation lap.
Sergey would return running on the ultrasoft tyre and would set a 1m:32.057
on his first flying lap. He would improve with a 1m:29.342. A 1m:28.125
would see Sergey improve currently eighth. Like his team-mate Sergey would
continue to find time setting a 1m:27.820 to be tenth. He would drop to
twelfth but he was able to improve with a 1m:27.501. He would pit after his
first run currently eleventh. Sergey would make a mistake coming into the
pits hitting the wall with his rear left. Sergey would follow his team-mate
out also on new ultrasoft tyres. He would set a 1m:27.319 to remain
eleventh.
Despite an further improvement with a 1m:27.035 Sergey would drop to
thirteenth. But Sergey would find a big amount of time setting a1m:26.536 to
move up to tenth. He would pit after just a six lap run. While in the pits
Sergey would drop to eleventh. He was out of his car with his mechanics
making some small adjustments in the cockpit. Sergey would also return still
on used ultrasoft tyres. He would finish the session in twelfth, a great
start to the season.
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment.
We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals.
We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards.
If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing
abuse@sportnetwork.net