SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) – Red Bull’s driving force, Max Verstappen, set the fastest time at the time of the Belgian Grand Prix practice consultation on Friday.
Verstappen 0. 048 seconds ahead of Renault driving force Daniel Ricciardo and 0. 096 ahead of Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes’ driving force won 4 of the first six races and leads the championship in 37 questions about second-place Verstappen.
With about 20 minutes to the end, Ricciardo parked his Renault on his own after an obvious engine failure.
The assembly was briefly delayed as planned some time later, when the debris fell on the track at Turn 1, and the race bosses rushed to remove some loose billboards.
Conditions were covered all day, with gentle rains in the afternoon on the 7-kilometre track nestled in the Ardennes forest.
Another depressing day for Ferrari in trouble, with Charles Leclerc 15th and Sebastian Vettel, four-time F1 champion, 17th.
During the first tests, Mercedes’ driving force, Valtteri Bottas, led Hamilton in 0. 069 seconds.
Bottas punctured the left front tyre at this session, but it was due to the rubble, rather than the kind of tyre damage, which led him to die towards the British GP target on 2 August.
Haas couldn’t even get his drivers out for a morning lap due to engine problems.
There is a third and final practice on Saturday before the afternoon rankings.
So far, all races have been enthusiastic due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, more than 250,000 enthusiasts, adding swarms of Dutch orange-clad enthusiasts who support Verstapp, filled the camps with the smell of makeshift barbecues and air-filled fast food stalls.
But some enthusiasts may return to Italy next month.
Tuscan region President Enrico Rossi said Friday that the fitness government had approved 3,000 enthusiasts for the Tuscan Grand Prix on September 13.
The circuit has 3 giant stands that can accommodate another 1,000 people according to national regulations on public events.
Fans will see their temperature when they arrive and wear a mask if approved until Saturday.
There will also be some spectators at the Italian GP in Monza a week earlier, with 250 fitness staff members invited to attend in popularity for their efforts in the pandemic.
___
More AP races: https://apnews. com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter. com/AP_Sports