Verstappen leads Red Bull one-two in slippery Turkish practice

Max Verstappen led a Red Bull one-two in a largely meaningless Turkish Grand Prix first apply on Friday that the Dutch teen likened to driving on ice as a consequence of slippery monitor situations.

The 23-year-old produced a finest lap of 1 minute 35.077 seconds on the finish of the session on a just lately resurfaced Istanbul monitor whose lack of grip on a chilly morning posed issues for all.

His time was greater than 10 seconds slower than Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 pole time, when the German was with Red Bull, of 1:25.049 on Formula One’s final earlier go to to the circuit on the Asian facet of Istanbul.

Thai crew mate Alexander Albon was second, forward of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly with dominant Mercedes means down the order on a morning of wheelspins and slides.

Vettel, in his previous few races for Ferrari earlier than becoming a member of Aston Martin (Racing Point) subsequent season, was fifth quickest.

“It’s like driving on grass — way lower grip than a wet track,” commented Haas’s Kevin Magnussen.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who seems set to seal his record-equalling seventh world championship in Sunday’s race, was solely 15th quickest and greater than 5 seconds slower than Verstappen.

“There’s no grip, it’s pointless doing the start,” the Briton mentioned over the crew radio when informed to pit for some apply begins.

Team mate Valtteri Bottas, who should rating eight factors greater than Hamilton to remain mathematically in competition, was ninth quickest with the principle precedence being to get some rubber down onto the monitor.

“It’s all about tyre temperature,” mentioned Red Bull boss Christian Horner, whose crew completed one-two in 2011. “It’s so, so slippery out there it is like driving on ice in many respects.”

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz stopped by the facet of the monitor after earlier struggling {an electrical} drawback. His crew mate Lando Norris, celebrating his 21st birthday, was seventh quickest.

The session was crimson flagged inside minutes of the beginning after Ferrari’s Leclerc slid right into a bollard marking the pit lane entry.

Track staff had been earlier seen chasing a stray canine that was reported to have been caught earlier than any automobiles ventured out onto the monitor.

(Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, enhancing by Toby Davis)