Australia – Free Practice 1: Alonso Sees Red, Hamilton and Lotus at a Standstill

The first free practice session begins under a brilliant sun, far from the rain that was forecast in recent days.

During the first thirty minutes, the drivers completed their installation laps, and some teams took the opportunity to conduct start tests. After a few minutes, Lewis Hamilton, driving a Mercedes that was among the most reliable during private tests, was already stopped on the track. Daniel Ricciardo became the first driver to set an official timed lap in this new era of Formula 1 at the wheel of his Red Bull, while other drivers remained in their pits. Times dropped by more than 5 seconds in just the first half-hour, which featured some remarkable driving by Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo, and a battle for the first place between Fernando Alonso, in 1st, and Nico Rosberg, in 2nd. Only the Lotus cars and Sebastian Vettel did not take to the track.

During the second half-hour, Sebastian Vettel also took to the track for an installation lap. Many small mistakes were made by drivers who went off the track several times. One of the two Lotus cars had its power unit start up, but it did not take to the track. Fernando Alonso improved his time again, hitting 1:31.840, ahead of Jenson Button and Felipe Massa.

For the end of this session, Sebastian Vettel managed to complete a few timed laps, as did Adrian Sutil with his Sauber. Mercedes also reported on Lewis Hamilton: it was a sensor issue that caused his car’s engine to stop. Pastor Maldonado performed the first laps in the Lotus E22 and the team’s first start simulation. But after 2 installation laps and an off-track excursion, the Venezuelan coasted back into the pit lane. Mercedes wasn’t the only team to experience issues on the track. Kevin Magnussen made a spectacular move by braking on the grass at the first corner, while both Toro Rosso drivers seemed to have braking problems: Vergne and Kvyat regularly missed the first corner. The Frenchman even visited the gravel trap at the 3rd corner before rejoining the track in the final seconds. Only Romain Grosjean didn’t take to the track, while 16 out of 22 drivers set a timed lap.

So it is Fernando Alonso who recorded the best time at 1:31.840, while Jenson Button, Valtteri Bottas, and Felipe Massa follow. A small surprise then with Daniel Ricciardo, Rosberg, and Vettel behind them, while none of the Lotus and Caterham drivers set a time. The highlight of this session will remain Lewis Hamilton’s stop on track after just 5 minutes, due to a sensor issue in the power unit.

Free Practice 1 Results of the 2014 Australian Grand Prix: