Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were third and fifth respectively at the end of the first free practice session for the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park. It was an unusual session, as the track was incredibly slippery.
Damp and not rubbered-in. The track was pressure washed again this morning to clean the oily top layer after recent resurfacing work. Combined with the lack of rubber put down and the low temperatures, it meant there was absolutely no grip, with lap times similar to those one can expect in the wet.
55 laps. Between them, the two drivers covered 55 laps, 26 for Charles, driving the 5.338 km track for the very first time and 29 for Sebastian. Best time for the Monegasque was a 1’35”507 with his team-mate posting a 1’35”620.
Programme. The second session starts at 15 local (13 CET,) while the third is tomorrow at noon (10 CET.) Qualifying begins at 15 (13 CET,) while the eighth Turkish Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday 15 November at 13.10 (11.10 CET.)