Australian GP: FP1 Williams Racing where you would expect
By Andrew Hooper
March 15 2019
The opening Friday practice session of the 2019 Australian GP for the ROKiT Williams racing team would see both drivers finish at the bottom of the times. Robert Kubica was 19th and George Russell 20th. Both drivers would set their times on the medium tyre while those in front were on the soft tyre. It was pretty much when you would expect them to be after their testing performances. But both drivers would continually improve during the session but the gap to the cars in front is still something that must come down. The only issue in the session was when George was told to stop before he left the pit lane seeing him having to be recovered by his mechanics. His issue has yet to be confirmed.
ROKiT Williams
Australian GP Friday 1st Practice
Team Summary:
After a single installation lap both Williams drivers would return to their
pits. The track would empty and it would not be until 20 minutes into the
session that cars would start to return. The first lap would be a 1m:26.454
running on the medium tyre. This would become a 1m:24.679 with Verstappen
second followed by Hamilton. Hamilton would move up to second while for
Williams their first runs would see them 18th and 19th as they stopped for
tyres and would come back out for a second run. But it would only be a
single lap before they pitted again with the track empty with fifty minutes
remaining.
The first set of tyres that the drivers had used would be returned to
Pirelli. Under forty minutes remaining and drivers would start to return. A
1m:23.866 from Bottas on the soft tyre. But Hamilton would go quicker with a
1m:23.599 but Williams would suffer their first issue with George been told
to stop his car as he tried to leave the pit lane been returned back to his
pit. Now Ferrari would show some pace with Vettel and Leclerc second and
third. The session would be red flagged with a Toro Rosso stuck in the
middle of the track after an accident. Albon was able to get the car back to
the pits under its own power.
The session would go green and both Williams cars would come out with George
leading Robert both on the medium tyre. Both drivers wiuld go through with a
series of improving laps but with the end of the session they would finish
in 19th and 20th. But both drivers had set their quickest times on the
medium tyre while those around them were on teh soft. Quickest would remain
Hamilton from Vettel and Leclerc.
Robert Kubica:
Robert would be first out for the opening Friday session running on the
white hard tyres. Robert would also come out for his first timed run also on
the soft tyre. A 1m:30.334 from Robert on his first timed lap. Robert would
go off track at Turn one but was only a trip across the grass seeing him
continue. He would improve with a 1m:29.560 to be 13th. A further
improvement with a 1m:28.843 to be 16th. A 1m:28.406 from Robert and he
would pit after an eight lap run. He would return on a new set of soft
tyres. But would put after a single lap. With 27 minutes remaining Robert
would return this time on the medium tyre. With a yellow flag as a result of
an accident Robert would pit. He would return still on the medium tyre. A
1m:27.973 from Robert but he would remain in 19th. A small improvement with
a 1m:27.914 but still was 19th.
George Russell:
George would also come out but he was running on the yellow medium tyre. He
would have flow viz on the rear wing of his Williams. George would return
after a 20 minute stop coming back out on the red marked soft tyre. First
lap time was a 1m:36.806 as he worked his way into the session. He would
improve with a 1m:34.075. He would lower his time to a 1m:31.294 to be 16th
in the times. This was followed up with a 1m:30.690 to be 17th. A 1m:29.587
from George and he would pit taking on a new set of soft tyres returning to
the track. George would pit after a single lap. George was about to return
but was told to stop the car seeing his mechanics come and put his car on
the trolleys returning it to his pit. With just over 15 minutes remaining
George would come back out running on the medium tyre. A 1m:29.040 from
George on the harder tyre. He would follow this up with a 1m:28.839 but
remained 20th. A small improvement with a 1m:28.740 but remained 20th.
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