2023 Saudi Arabian GP: Verstappen on top as Alonso joins top three
17th March 2023Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped the timing boards in the opening practice session in Saudi Arabia as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso popped up into the top three.
When the pit exit light went green, there was a flurry of action down the pit lane as several drivers ventured out onto the track, led by Alpha Tauri Nyck De Vries. On the other hand, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was forced to manoeuvre his RB19 out of his garage due to the tight nature of the pit lane.
After 15 minutes, the majority of the driver had placed a lap time on the board, only McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Verstappen and both Alpine drivers: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
Perez topped the timing board with a soft-compound tyre run but he was soon toppled by Alonso who went quicker by 0.224s. However, the likes of both Ferrari drivers: Charles Leclerc (P3) and Carlos Sainz (P6), Williams’ Alexander Albon (P4) and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (P5) completed their fastest laps on the white-ringed hard-compound tyres.
On his first fast lap, after suffering a stomach bug this week, the reigning world champion went third-fastest as Perez returned to the top of the leaderboards. However, it wasn’t long before Alonso returned the favour and put in a 1:30.509: the new fastest lap.
Verstappen soon returned to his usual position at the top of the timing sheets with the quickest lap of the session: 1:30. (0.015s faster than Alonso), just over half an hour remained on the clock. As the session crept under the half-an-hour mark, the Dutchman quickly bettered his lap time and went 0.447s faster than Alonso who remained in second.
In the dying minutes of the first practice session, everyone had set their fastest lap times on the board with the soft compound tyres. Verstappen maintained his position on the top of the timing boards with his new personal best, a 1:29.750, as Perez and Alonso rounded out the top three.
Stroll occupied fourth place ahead of both the Mercedes; George Russell (P5) and Hamilton (P6). While Sainz, Gasly, Albon and Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10 respectively.
That’s all for the article; 2023 Saudi Arabian GP: Verstappen on top as Alonso joins top three!
Will Fernando Alonso be able to fight the two Red Bulls this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
