Written by Alan Baldwin
SILVERSTONE, England, July 7 (Reuters) – Max Verstappen has completed a double practice for the UK Grand Prix at Silverstone On Friday, with Ferrari closing in from behind and Williams’ Alex Albon quickly behind Formula 1 championship leaders Red Bull.
Verstappen led his Mexican teammate Sergio “Chico” Perez With a one-two finish in the opening session and he was again fastest in the late afternoon, when last year’s winner Carlos Sainz was second in Ferrari’s time table.
“I think it was a good day for us,” said Verstappen. “It was very slippery at the start, but I also think that is due to the high pressures we have on the tyres.
“Overall the car ran very well. The performance was strong on both sessions and we were able to complete our programme.”
Albon achieved a stunning third place In both sunny sessions the team is currently 9th out of 10 in the championship, with fellow American rookie Logan Sargeant also 5th in the second freestyle.
Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal He said the Williams couple were “absolutely adorable”. “It’s a right lap, not just one, and their long distances make a lot of sense. At that pace they’ll be a factor in the late group,” he said.
Dutch World Champion Verstappen set his best time of 28.078 minutes in the second free session after lapping in 1:28.600 in the first. Sainz was only 0.022 slower.
Chico PerezHe is Verstappen’s closest challenger for the title but with 81 points after nine races, he was 0.448 slower in the first session and 0.264 slower in the second when the Mexican finished fourth. Verstappen has won seven races this season and is chasing a sixth consecutive win for the first time in his career.
McLaren record
Red Bull has won every race, including last year’s final, He is seeking his 11th consecutive win to equal McLaren’s record in 1988, set by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished fourth and 10th respectively, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fifth in the opener.
Mercedes had a slow start to the weekend Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is only 12th and teammate George Russell 14th in the first freestyle sessione., as they were the only ones who did not use soft tyres.
Russell was 12th while eight-time home winner Hamilton was 15th. “It’s a tough car to drive. No matter what we do with the setup, it’s still a tough car to drive,” said Hamilton.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing in Spanish by Aida Beleth-Fernandez)
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