Bahrain GP: Williams Racing focuses on session run plans


By Andrew Hooper
November 27 2020

The opening Friday practice session for the 2020 Bahrain GP would see the Williams Racing Team drivers finish in 19th and 20th. Roy Nissany who had replaced George Russell for the session was slowest but he would spend a considerable part of his session carrying out things like aero testing running with aero rakes. For team-mate Nicholas Latifi his session was again not one of outright performance but more on focusing on longer runs on the hard tyre. George Russell will return for FP2.

 
 Williams Racing Turkish GP Friday 1st Practice
 
Nissany
 

Team Summary:
With George Russell being replaced by Roy Nissany the Williams Team would commence their first Friday practice session for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. In what was a dry session Pirelli would also take the opportunity to test 2021 C3 tyres. Times would quickly start to appear with Bottas currently fastest with a 1m:31.736, followed by Sainz and Albon. Hamilton also on the hard tyre would set a 1m:31.104 to move ahead of Bottas. On the soft Kvyat would move into second ahead of Bottas, Albon, Ricciardo, Sainz, Nicholas, Magnussen, Norris and Grosjean tenth. Gasly also on the soft tyre would move up to third but Albon on the soft tyre would set a 1m:30.426 to go quickest. Verstappen was now third behind Hamilton also on the soft tyre. Hamilton had set his time using the 2021 development tyre. On the soft tyre Grosjean was now fourth from Kvyat and Gasly.

Hamilton still on the development tyre would set a 1m:30.133 to go quickest from Bottas who was using the same tyre. Perez was now up to third on the soft tyre. Albon was fourth followed by Verstappen both times set on the soft tyre. Verstappen would improve to be third joined by Albon in fourth with the pair ahead of Perez in fifth. The Williams drivers are their early runs were 19th and 20th but one driver was focusing on test type runs. Perez would improve to be second on the soft tyre. With the first forty minutes of the session completed the track would empty. But quickly it would again be busy with more drivers coming out on the medium tyre. Hamilton would set a 1m:29.033 to improve his quickest time followed by Bottas and Gasly also on the medium tyre. Perez was able to move into third followed bow by Sainz, Gasly, Verstappen, Albon, Stroll, Kubica, and Grosjean tenth. Ricciardo would move into ninth seeing Kubica tenth.

With twenty minutes remaining the Williams drivers were 19th and 20th. On the soft tyre Vettel would move up to tenth while more drivers continued on with the tyre testing for Pirelli. As the session drew to a close there was a mix of tyres been used ranging from the development tyres through to the medium, soft and hard. For Williams it was looking like a longer runs on the medium and hard tyres. the session would end with Hamilton remaining quickest from Bottas, Perez, Sainz, Gasly, Verstappen, Albon, Ocon, Stroll and Ricciardo tenth. The session would end with the Williams drivers remaining in 19th and 20th.

Roy Nissany:
Roy would be first out for Williams running on the soft tyre. he would pit with out setting a time. He would return with just over an hour and a quarter switching to the Pirelli development tyre. He would pit again having completed one lap without setting a time. But from images early in the session it was seen that he was running aero rakes just in front of his rear wheels. He would return and would set a 1m:36.175 using the soft tyre. He would improve with a 1m:34.064 to remain slowest. He would continue and would set a 1mL33.966 remaining slowest. He would pit after a seven lap run. He would return on the development tyre for his next run. He would improve with a 1m:33.314 remaining slowest. He would pit after a five lap run. Nicholas would come out again this time on the medium tyre and would set a 1m:32.801 to be 0.3 behind his team-mate. He would complete his long run on the medium tyre having completed eleven laps.

Nichols Latifi:
Nicholas would also use the soft tyre in his instillation run in the session. He would set a 1m:34.142 to be seventh. Nicholas would improve with a 1m:32.986 to now be sixth. he would dropt o seventh as he continued on his soft tyre run currently having completed seven laps with just under an hour and fifteen minutes remaining. He would pit after a nine lap run. He would drop to 11th then down to 19th. With forty three minutes remaining Nicholas would return running on the hard tyre. He would improve with a 1m:32.472 but would remain in 19th. He would pit after an eight lap run on the hard tyre. Fifteen minutes remaining and Nicholas would return again on the hard tyre. With the end of the session he would pit after a ten lap run.

 
Latifi
 
Pos Driver Car Gap
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m29.033s
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 0.449s
3 Sergio Perez Racing Point-Mercedes 0.967s
4 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren-Renault 0.985s
5 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri-Honda 1.016s
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Honda 1.261s
7 Alexander Albon Red Bull-Honda 1.269s
8 Esteban Ocon Renault 1.351s
9 Lance Stroll Racing Point-Mercedes 1.393s
10 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1.475s
11 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1.556s
12 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1.595s
13 Robert Kubica Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 1.699s
14 Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari 1.799s
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari 1.821s
16 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 1.863s
17 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri-Honda 1.987s
18 Lando Norris McLaren-Renault 2.359s
19 Nicholas Latifi Williams-Mercedes 3.439s
20 Roy Nissany Williams-Mercedes 3.768s
 
Nissany
 

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Bahrain GP: Williams Racing focuses on session run plans
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