First Free Practice Results 2021 USA F1 GP
Event: USA F1 Grand Prix
Track: Circuit of the Americas
COTA circuit with blue skies
Weather: dry 27.3°C
Tarmac: dry 31.6°C
Humidity: 62.5%
Wind: 0.5 m/s S
Pressure: 1000.3 bar
The first free practice for the 2021 US F1 GP was driven under great ambient situation, with blue skies and warm temperatures the weather was perfect. the weather forecast seem to say it the weather will stay like this the whole weekend.
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was the first who to enter the COTA track for an installation lap. His front wing was fitted with measurement racks to measure to probably synchronise the wind tunnel figures with the real world figures.
Fernando Alonso was asked to stop the Alpine at turn 12, when his engine gave up already very soon in this FP1. His retirement even caused a red flag and ended his session.
After 15 minutes the drivers where able to put in some fast laps again. The top drivers where using soft tyres right away, to try and put in some good laps. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen where less then 0.1 sec apart in the Red Bull after there first laps.
Leclerc spun off but was able to go on. With 35 minutes to go Sergio Perez showed his speed and clocked the fastest lap time up til then with a 1:36.798 min.
Half was the session Sebastian Vettel was quickest with a 1:36.344 min in the Aston Martin on soft tyres, but the lap time was deleted because he exceeded the track limits at turn 9. Up till than Hamilton was fastest with 1:36.381 on softs with the Mercedes F1 car.
With 20 minutes to go Alonso was able to drive out of the garage again to test. When was preparing to go out Verstappen clocked the quickest lap until then with a 1:36.049 min. Being more than 0.3 sec.quicker than his title rival Hamilton.
With 10 minutes to go Bottas was topping the time sheet with a 1:34.874 and Hamilton only 0.045s behind him. Mercedes showed they are the team to beat. Verstappen was almost 1 sec. behind on P3 and Leclerc in the Ferrari was even almost 1.5 sec. behind.
Last year Max Verstappen was quickest in FP1. The Red Bull driver then clocked a 1:34:057 min.
FP1 Times Table 2021 USA GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | 1st Gap | Laps | Tyres |
| 1 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1:34,874 | 17 | ????S (C4) | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:34,919 | +0,045s | 18 | ????S (C4) |
| 3 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:35,806 | +0,932s | 16 | ????S (C4) |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:36,334 | +1,460s | 18 | ????S (C4) |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:36,508 | +1,634s | 20 | ????S (C4) |
| 6 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1:36,611 | +1,737s | 18 | ????S (C4) |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:36,798 | +1,924s | 20 | ⚪H (C2) |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:36,855 | +1,981s | 11 | ????S (C4) |
| 9 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1:36,874 | +2,000s | 18 | ????S (C4) |
| 10 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo | 1:36,876 | +2,002s | 18 | ????S (C4) |
| 11 | 63 | George Russell | Williams | 1:36,966 | +2,092s | 19 | ????S (C4) |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:36,970 | +2,096s | 22 | ????S (C4) |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:36,972 | +2,098s | 20 | ????S (C4) |
| 14 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 1:36,982 | +2,108s | 20 | ????S (C4) |
| 15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 1:37,068 | +2,194s | 12 | ????S (C4) |
| 16 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 1:37,458 | +2,584s | 18 | ????M (C3) |
| 17 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 1:37,463 | +2,589s | 19 | ????S (C4) |
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1:37,954 | +3,080s | 22 | ????M (C3) |
| 19 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 1:38,866 | +3,992s | 17 | ????S (C4) |
| 20 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | 1:42,239 | +7,365s | 19 | ????M (C3) |
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