(Jeddah) Briton Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in two free practice sessions held on Friday ahead of the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Driving his Mercedes, Hamilton clocked a time of 1 minute 29.018 seconds to finish ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas in the evening session.
This session ended about three minutes earlier than expected following a high-speed crash by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in turn 22 which forced the red flag to be raised.
In the first session, Hamilton stopped the clock at 1: 29.786, and he beat Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) by 56 thousandths of a second.
Quebecer Lance Stroll, riding Aston-Martin, clocked 1: 31.044, leaving him at 14e rank at the end of the first session. Stroll was faster in the second session, negotiating the 6.2 km track and its 27 turns in 1: 30.442, but had to settle for the 15e square.
“It was nice to test the circuit for the first time today, and it’s a very fast track,” said Stroll.
“I think we can see that overtaking will be a challenge on Sunday and for that reason the qualifying session will be very important. […] Being comfortable the entire lap will be key to a good lap because there are a few areas where, if you really push, you can save time. We’ve had a good start with the car, but we’ll be working through the night to make some progress and make sure we head into qualifying in a good position. “
Sebastian Vettel (1: 30.886), Stroll’s teammate, achieved the 10e time of the first session, and the 16e time of the second (1: 30.502).
Torontonian Nicholas Latifi (Williams) completed both sessions in 19e square
In the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen holds an eight-point lead over Hamilton – thanks to nine wins against seven – in a heated battle the outcome of which will be known next weekend in Abu Dhabi.