Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton was the man who got to grips with the Baku City Circuit quickest, setting the fastest time in first practice for the European Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.
It was not plain sailing for the three-time F1 champion, locking up several times on his way to the fastest time of the session.
Formula One heads to Azerbaijan for the first time which hosts the European GP, which was last held in Valencia in 2012. The 6.003km circuit designed by architect Hermann Tilke combines long straights with tight, 90-degree turns.
Like in GP2 practice, which took place two hours before FP1, many drivers made mistakes as they got to grips with the new Baku City Circuit.
Hamilton may have been the fastest driver in FP1 but Williams’ Valtteri Bottas was the most impressive driver. The Finn set the early pace on the soft tyres and ended the session just 0.661s behind Hamilton, in third place.
McLaren’s Fernando Alonso was an impressive fourth, 1.554s off the pace set by Hamilton. With it being a new circuit with a lack of grip, the times and pecking order in FP1 are unrepresentative and we should have a clearer picture in FP2.
Daniel Ricciardo crashed on the exit of Turn 15, heavily the damaging the rear of his RB12. Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen only completed seven laps after suffering a clutch problem.
