Max Verstappen dominates first practice session of 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The first practice session for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix went off without incident as all 20 cars completed the full hour of smooth running.

Max Verstappen won the most recent race by posting the fastest lap time of 1 minute and 29.617 seconds. Sergio Perez finished second, while Fernando Alonso was third. This performance by Alonso demonstrates that his excellent podium position in Bahrain was not a fluke, but rather a representation of his actual driving ability.

Lewis Hamilton struggled for grip and ended the session in P6, while his teammate George Russell was in P5. Lando Norris took a whole new power unit following his issues in Bahrain but will avoid a penalty as all of his replacement parts are within his allocation.

However, Norris was shown a black and white flag for failing to follow the race director’s instructions. The grid soon moved onto the softs to put in some quick laps, and the results show a mix of tyre compounds in the opening half of FP1.

The Saudi Arabian FP1 results in full are provided, with Max Verstappen being the fastest on the timesheet.

Saudi Arabian FP1 Results: