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Team Summary:
The opening Friday practice for the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP would commence
with a flood of drivers coming out on a mix of medium and hard tyres in use.
Both Williams cars were running on both tyre types in use. After a series of
lap times Ocon would be quickest with a 1m:37.458 but Perez then Tsunoda
would go quicker but Verstappen would go quickest with a 1m:34.167 on the
hard tyre. The Williams drivers would complete timed laps and were down in
11th and 12th. At the front Verstappen had improved his time with a
1m:31.885 now followed by Hamilton, Perez, Tsunoda, Ricciardo, and Stroll
sixth. But Hamilton was on the soft tyre.
Tsunoda and Gasly were now second and third both on the hard tyre. Perez was
fourth from Hamilton, Norris, Ricciardo, Ocon, Stroll and Nicholas.
Verstappen would set a 1m:30.88 remaining fastest. With a track side sign
falling onto the track the session would be Red Flagged in order that the
debris could be cleaned up. The session was restarted with both Ferrari cars
out for their first runs. Both Williams cars would also return this time on
the soft tyre. More drivers were running the same soft tyre as the Williams
drivers found themselves currently 10th and 12th. This would become 11th and
14th. At the front Alonso was now sixth followed by Leclerc and Sainz.
Norris was now ninth and Ricciardo tenth. The Williams pair had dropped to
13th and 15th with twenty minutes remaining in the session.
Leclerc would improve on the hard tyre to be second with Tsunoda now third.
But Gasly would go second seeing Leclerc third followed by Tsunoda, Perez,
Ocon, Hamilton, Alonso, Ricciardo and Stroll tenth. The Williams pair were
now 15th and 17th. The track had become fairly empty but with ten minutes
remaining the track would again become very busy but Magnussen in the Haas
was not going to get any more running with an issue with his car. With under
three minutes remaining the order was Verstappen, Leclerc, Gasly, Tsunoda,
Perez, Sainz, Ocon, Hamilton, Alonso and Bottas tenth. The Williams pair
were now 16th and 18th. But in the final moments Leclerc would go quickest
with a 1m:30.772 from Verstappen and now Bottas third. Sainz was fourth
followed by Gasly, Tsunoda, Perez, Ocon, Hamilton and Alonso tenth. The
Williams drivers would finish in 17th and 18th, effectively slowest. As in
Bahrain the drivers were allowed to carry out practice starts from the grid
with the end of the session.
Alex Albon:
Alex would take to the track for his first run in a Williams at the Saudi
track using the medium.
Alex would set a 1m:38.670 to be currently 10th. This would become 12th
despite setting a 1m:36.529. Alex had set a 1m:35.088 but remained in 12th,
dropping to 13th. With a 1m:34.104 Alex was now 10th. With a Red Flag he
would pit and would return on the restart using the soft tyre. He would set
a 1m:33.087 to be seventh. This would become eighth dropping to tenth then
13th. Alex would pit after a eight lap run. With eight minutes remaining
Alex would return on the medium tyre. Alex was currently 15th as he worked
on his medium tyre run. The session would end Alex having complete 17 laps
on the medium tyre during the session.
Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas was out for his first run in the opening session using the hard
tyre. Nicholas would set a 1m:40.685 to be right behind his team-mate. But a
1m:36.985 would see him ninth dropping to 10th. This would become 11th to be
one place ahead of his team-mate. More improvement from Nicholas with a
1m:35.258 to be seventh. But again he would drop down the order to again be
11th. But again an improved lap time with a 1m:34.216 to be 8th dropping to
10th. This would become 12th but a 1m:34.134 would see Nicholas 11th. A Red
Flag stop would see him pit returning with the restart on the soft tyre.
With a 1m:33.529 he would improve to be ninth dropping to 10th. This would
become 15th as Nicholas spitted after a seven lap run. After a short stop
Nicholas would return using the hard tyre. Nicholas was currently 17th with
the final minutes of the session commencing. He would complete his run on
the hard tyre with the end of the session seeing him complete 19 laps on
this tyre. |
