Overview

• Fernando Alonso set the FP1 benchmark with a 1:31.116, edging Charles Leclerc by 0.150s, with Max Verstappen third and Lewis Hamilton fourth.
• Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were fifth and sixth for McLaren after early balance issues for Piastri on his soft-tyre run.
• Williams said Alex Albon’s stoppage was caused by a rear brake hardware problem that ignited a fire, and they expect him to return for FP2.
• The opening practice was held in daylight on a dusty, low-grip track that is not representative of the night-time qualifying and race.
• Piastri leads the drivers’ standings by 69 points over Verstappen and said he learned “tough lessons” from his Baku errors as attention turns to the evening session.