First Free Practice Results 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix

Event: Austrian F1 GP
Track: Red Bull Ring

Weather: dry 27°C
Tarmac: dry  45°C
Humidity: 38%
Wind: 1 km/h NE
Pressure: 933 mbar

Greetings, F1 fans! The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix kicked off with an electrifying first practice session (FP1). The stakes were high, as this race marked the return of the sprint race format, adding an exciting twist to the regular proceedings. As the hills echoed with the roar of F1 engines, the Red Bull Ring was alight with action and suspense.

The Red Bull team arrived with a flawless track record, having clinched victory in all eight races of the season thus far. However, with the home race advantage comes the added weight of expectation, creating a pressure-cooker situation. The non-traditional sprint race format, coupled with the possibility of wet weather, set the stage for potential upsets and surprise performances​¹​.

Now, let's delve into the highlights of the FP1 session.

FP1 Highlights

The session kicked off with drivers eagerly taking to the track, showcasing an intriguing mix of hard and medium tyre strategies. The Red Bull team, featuring the indomitable Max Verstappen, showed early promise. Verstappen, having an impressive tally of six wins in the eight races so far, was a driver to watch, with fans hoping for another stellar performance.

The session saw a slow start for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz initially seen in 16th and 17th positions, respectively, presumably gathering data on their latest updates. Interestingly, both Williams drivers took a while before showing their hands, keeping fans and competitors guessing.

As the session progressed, Lewis Hamilton showcased his skill and experience, setting quick times on the hard tyre, hinting at a strong performance for the Mercedes team. His teammate, George Russell, also showed promise, securing a solid fifth position with the soft tyres.

Halfway the session eight different team were in the top 10 leaderboard and between one second. The order was: 1. HAM - 1:06.416 (H), 2. VER +.182 (H), 3. ALO +0.240 (M), 4. PER +0.355 (H), 5. ALB +0.378 (S), 6. STR +0.522 (M), 7. TSU +0.745 (M), 8. OCO +0.786 (M), 9. BOT +0.854 (M), 10. NOR +0.952 (M).

The Red Bull Ring did not spare any driver, as many struggled to maintain their lines. Both Sainz and Valtteri Bottas were caught going wide at Turn 1, while Leclerc and Esteban Ocon had similar struggles at the final corner. The track layout and conditions, coupled with the drivers' eagerness to test their limits, led to several such off-track moments.

In a notable radio transmission, Pierre Gasly from Alpine voiced concerns about a persistently locking front right tyre, highlighting the challenges posed by the track. He later experienced traffic issues with Lance Stroll, emphasizing the potential impact of track congestion on qualifying times.

The Red Bull team, despite some initial understeer complaints from Verstappen, continued their strong performance. They notably opted not to use a set of the soft tyres, an intriguing strategy that seemed to pay off. Verstappen eventually claimed the top spot in the timesheets, closely followed by Ferrari's Sainz and Leclerc.

The quickest sector times driven during this FP1 were:

1. 16.515 sec. by Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2. 29.317 sec. by Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. 19.830 sec. by Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

Last year the quickest lap time in FP1 was a 1:06.330 set by Verstappen with the RB18.

FP1 Times Table 2023 Austrian GP

✅ Check out our 2023 Austrian F1 GP preview

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