Finn Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) set the best time in the first free practice session of the Portuguese Grand Prix, twelfth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, ahead of his teammate, British Lewis Hamilton.
At this new circuit for all F1 teams, as it appears on the calendar this year for the first time, the Mercedes had no qualms and were the only ones to do a lap of less than 1 minute and 19 seconds.
The third, the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), finished 781 thousandths of Bottas, and the fourth, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), to 899 thousandths.
The session took place in good and dry weather conditions, although with a bit of wind in the last minutes.
Hamilton will try to become the rider with the most grand prix victories on Sunday with 92, beating German Michael Schumacher.
A victory would bring him closer to his seventh world title, the same as Schumacher. He currently has a 69-point lead over Bottas with six races to go by the end of the season.
– Classification of the first free practice session of the Formula 1 Portuguese GP, which takes place on the Algarve circuit (4,653 km):
Valtteri Bottas (FIN / Mercedes) 1: 18.410 (35 laps)
Lewis Hamilton (GBR / Mercedes) 1: 18.749 (35)
Max Verstappen (NED / Red Bull-Honda) 1: 19.191 (32)
Charles Leclerc (MON / Ferrari) 1: 19.309 (33)
Alexander Albon (THA / Red Bull-Honda) 1: 19.365 (34)
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP / McLaren-Renault) 1: 19.441 (42)
Sergio Pérez (MEX / Racing Point-Mercedes) 1: 19.907 (31)
Kimi Räikkönen (FIN / Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1: 19.954 (35)
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS / Renault) 1: 20.058 (27)
Pierre Gasly (FRA / AlphaTauri-Honda) 1: 20.124 (29)
Sebastian Vettel (GER / Ferrari) 1: 20.200 (37)
Lando Norris (GBR / McLaren-Renault) 1: 20.207 (29)
Daniil Kvyat (RUS / AlphaTauri-Honda) 1: 20.278 (32)
Kevin Magnussen (DEN / Haas-Ferrari) 1: 20.846 (28)
Lance Stroll (CAN / Racing Point-Mercedes) 1: 20.954 (32)
Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA / Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1: 21.009 (35)
Romain Grosjean (FRA / Haas-Ferrari) 1: 21.169 (31)
George Russell (GBR / Williams-Mercedes) 1: 21.374 (31)
Esteban Ocon (FRA / Renault) 1: 21.673 (31)
Nicholas Latifi (CAN / Williams-Mercedes) 1: 22.054 (34). AFP (HN).