Max Verstappen fastest in Hungarian Grand Prix first practice

<figure class="gs-u-mt0 gs-u-mb-alt+ story-body__media story-body__media--figure qa-story-body-media story-body__media--lead" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$image-0"><span class="gs-u-display-block story-body__media" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$image-0.0"><span class="gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$image-0.0.0"><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/45F2/production/_119660971_yukitsunoda.jpg" sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/400/cpsprodpb/45F2/production/_119660971_yukitsunoda.jpg 400w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/45F2/production/_119660971_yukitsunoda.jpg 624w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/45F2/production/_119660971_yukitsunoda.jpg 800w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/976/cpsprodpb/45F2/production/_119660971_yukitsunoda.jpg 976w" alt="Yuki Tsunoda" class="qa-srcset-image" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$image-0.0.0.0"></span></span></figure> <p role="introduction" class="qa-introduction gel-pica-bold" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-1"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-1.0">Red Bull’s Max Verstappen headed Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton in first practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix.</span></p> <div data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-2" readability="9"> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-2.0"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-2.0.0">Verstappen was 0.061 seconds quicker than Bottas, with Hamilton 0.167secs off the pace of his title rival.</span></p> </div> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-3"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-3.0">Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fourth quickest, ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly, Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4.0">Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda had a crash at Turn Four that led to a red flag.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.0">The corner, a high-speed left-hander over the crest of a hill, also caused problems for Alonso, who had a spin there early in the session, and Haas driver Mick Schumacher, who ran wide.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.0">This is the first race since the dramatic collision between Hamilton and Verstappen at the British Grand Prix, which has led to bad blood between the drivers and their teams.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-8"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-8.0">Red Bull’s attempt to get Hamilton a tougher penalty for the incident failed on Thursday when governing body the FIA rejected their bid for a right of review of the incident.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-9"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-9.0">On Thursday, Verstappen reported his claim that Hamilton and Mercedes had been disrespectful in the way they celebrated their win following the collision, after which Verstappen was taken to hospital for checks.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-10"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-10.0">Hamilton repeated his belief that he had done nothing wrong, and would drive the same way again.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-11"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-11.0">He said he had phoned Verstappen in the days following the race “to check he was OK, and to let him know the respect is still there. Obviously it’s perhaps not reciprocated, but that’s OK.”</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-12"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-12.0">It is difficult to gauge competitiveness from practice sessions, but Hamilton’s running suggested he could perhaps have ended the session quickest.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.0">He was unhappy with his car on his first flying lap on the ‘soft’ tyres, and set his fastest lap after a front wing adjustment on the same set of tyres, which by then would have been past their peak.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-14"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-14.0">The gap between the top three and the rest suggests that Mercedes and Red Bull will again be in a league of their own.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-15"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-15.0">Ferrari had been expected by some to be competitive after their strong showing in Monaco, but Sainz was 0.560secs off the pace, suggesting that the Italian team’s pre-event predictions that they could head the midfield, but not challenge the top two teams, may have been accurate.</span></p> <p class="" data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-16"><span data-reactid=".1rqamqpejuy.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-16.0">Behind Leclerc, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was eighth fastest, 0.911secs off his team-mate’s pace, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.</span></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://patabook.com/sports/2021/07/30/max-verstappen-fastest-in-hungarian-grand-prix-first-practice/">Max Verstappen fastest in Hungarian Grand Prix first practice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://patabook.com/sports">Patabook Sports</a>.</p>

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