F1 Spanish GP: Charles Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 and Max Verstappen in FP1

F1 championship leader Charles Leclerc set the pace from Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in opening practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. 
Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75.
Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75.

Leclerc posted a lap that was just 0.079s quicker than Sainz’s with a 1m19.828s to edge out his teammate and head the timing sheet🔯s during the first hour of running at Barcelona on Friday. 

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was third, 0.336s down on the benc😼hmark set by his main title rival, who the Dutchman trails by 19 points after the opening five rounds. 

George Russell was fourth-fastest, over seven-tenths off the pace, as Mercedes traile𝓡🥂d its first major upgrade package of the season. 

Behind Russell was Fernando Alonso, who ended up splitting the Mercedes drivers as h🦄e jumped ahead of Lewis Hamilton into fifth with a late improvement. 

But the Alpine driver faces an investigation for impeding the seven-time world champion dur🀅ing the opening practice session🧔. 

Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W13. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 6, Spanish Grand Prix, Barcelona, Spain,
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W13. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 6, Spanish Grand…

The rest of the top-10 was compl💫eted by the McLaren and Tﷺoro Rosso drivers, with Lando Norris leading Pierre Gasly, teammate Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda. 

Three regular drivers sat out of FP1 as Robert Kubica returned to action for Alfa Romeo in place of F1 rookie Guanyu Zhou, w൩hile two rookies completed the first of two mandatory appearance🧔s this year. 

Formula E champion Nyck de Vries finished 18th-fastest for Williams, managing a time that was a tenth better than Nicholas Latifi on an impressive first outing on a grand 🐲prix weekend. 

Als🐽o making his FP1 debut was Red Bull junior Juri Vips, who ended up slowest of all and four seconds🌠 slower than Max Verstappen in the other Red Bull.

Juri Vips (EST), Red Bull
Juri Vips (EST), Red Bull

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