Valtteri Bottas set the pace as just over a tenth of a second covered the usual top three in first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Under sunny skies at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the opening one-hour session began with drama for Nikita Mazepin on his first lap out the pits, as he spun-off at Turn 8 and narrowly avoiding becoming beached in the gravel.
It didn’t take long for Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to start trading fastest times on the hard tyre, but that would be disrupted by Fernando Alonso completing an early flying lap on the soft compound.
Sebastian Vettel also joined the fray at the top on the red-marked Pirellis before Mercedes headed out for their first laps on the fastest tyre.
Hamilton initially set the pace, but the fastest middle sector saw Bottas go a tenth faster overall with a 1m18.504s.
The session would then be red-flagged after Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica, who replaced Kimi Raikkonen on Friday morning, beached the car in the gravel at the new Turn 10.
After that, drivers had just nine minutes to make some late improvements, with Max Verstappen jumping up to second on the soft tyres for Red Bull.
The two Ferraris moved up to fifth and sixth, fractionally behind Lando Norris’ McLaren as the battle for ‘best of the rest’ resumed.
Pierre Gasly was seventh, with Aston Martin continuing their improved form as Sebastian Vettel took eighth and Lance Stroll 10th.
Sergio Perez couldn’t quite get hooked up in the second Red Bull, and was blocked by Daniel Ricciardo at the final chicane on a potentially faster lap as the Mexican ended P9.
Yuki Tsunoda was 11th, while the two Alpine’s slipped down the order as Esteban Ocon was 12th and Alonso, who was fastest early on, dropping to 15th.
Antonio Giovinazzi sat 13th ahead of Ricciardo in 14th. Nicholas Latifi led Williams development driver Roy Nissany in 16th and 17th respectively.
Mick Schumacher was 18th, as Kubica and Mazepin brought up the field.
Full results from Practice 1 can be seen below:
