The opening Friday practice for the 2019 Spanish GP would again see the ROKiT Williams drivers finish slowest. This time it would be Robert Kubica leading team-mate George Russell but the margin was just 0.101. The pair would spend the session focusing on running on the medium tyre. At the end of the session the gap from Kubica to the nearest medium tyre runner was 0.430. On face value this would seem to be an improvement on past race weeknds where the gap was normally over a second. FP2 will show whether the Williwams team has made steps forward.
ROKiT Williams
Spanish GP Friday 1st Practice
Team Summary:
Both Williams drivers would complete single installation laps. The first lap
would come from Gasly with a 1m:23.115 running on the hard tyre. He would
continue to lap setting a 1m:21.016. he would pit seeing an empty track but
Kvyat would come back out joined by Grosjean and Norris. More drivers would
join them including Robert Kubica and George Russell. Grosjean was now
quickest with a 1m:20.338 followed by Magnussen and Norris. Leclerc would go
quickest with a 1m:19.757 running on the soft tyre. Bottas would set a
1m:19.734 to move to the top of the times ahead of Grosjean and Leclerc. The
quickest time would again change with Leclerc again quickest with a
1m:19.238 but Vettel would move ahead with a 1m:18.825. Both were on the
soft tyre.
After their first runs the Williams drivers were 19th and 20th. Bottas was
third followed by Grosjean, Verstappen, Magnussen, Norris, Ricciardo, Stroll
and Albon tenth. Verstappen was on the hard tyre while their was a mix of
soft and medium in the top ten. Ricciardo was now third while Vettel had set
a 1m:18.407. The track would empty with the tyre return period coming to an
end. Both Williams drivers would return and despite been slowest would
improve their lap times to be close to the likes of Perez. Bottas would set
a 1m:17.990 to be quickest on the soft tyre. The top ten were all on the
soft tyre but outside the top ten drivers continued to use the medium tyre.
Hamilton was now fourth followed by Grosjean and Sainz. Bottas had improved
with a 1m:17.951 still ahead of Vettel and Leclerc.
Verstappen was in his pit with oil leaking from his car. Gasly was now 8th
running on the medium tyre. Hamilton was still fourth followed by Grosjean,
Sainz, Magnussen, Gasly, Kvyat, and Hulkenberg now 10th. Bottas was also in
his pit with the mechanics also under his car looking at the cause of a
leak. Stroll would have an accident at Turn nine seeing a red flag come out
ending the session. The front wing and suspension took the majority of the
impact as Stroll hit the barrier. The session would end under the red flag
with Bottas remaining fastest from Vettel and Leclerc. For Williams their
drivers were 19th and 20th with Robert leading George with the pair
separated by just 0.101. They were still slowest but the next closest car
running on the medium tyre was just 0.430 ahead of Robert which would seem
to be an improvement.
Robert Kubica:
Robert would first out for his installation laps running on the medium tyre.
He would complete a single lap. With twenty minutes of the session completed
Robert would return for his first run. continuing with the medium tyre. He
would set a 1m:22.884 but would improve with a 1m:21.759. Robert would be on
a long run pitting after a ten lap run. He would return after a brief stop
coming back out again on new medium tyres. He would pit after a single lap.
Robert would also return continuing on the medium tyre. Robert would improve
slightly with a 1m:21.734 but would then set a 1m:20.889 to move ahead of
George. Robert would also pit after a six lap run. Robert would also return
still on the medium tyres. Robert would pit with the red flag having
completed eight laps.
George Russell:
George would follow his team-mate out also on the medium tyre completing a
single lap. George would follow his team-mate out also on the medium tyre.
George would set a 1m:23.036 to be behind his team-mate. George would pit
after a short four lap run. George would be the first to return after a
lengthy stop. He was still on the soft tyre and would set a 1m:20.990 to
move into 16th. Robert had flow viz on the right side of his car around the
barge boards. George would pit after a six lap run. With just over fifteen
minutes remaining George would return again on the medium tyre. Whilst
running George would tell the team that he had lost his right hand mirror
with the reflective part missing. George would pit after an eleven lap run
but would quickly return on a new set of medium tyres. He would pit after a
not completing a lpa with the red flag coming out.
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