The sanctioned Hamilton rules in the free practice in Turkey, with Sainz fifth and Alonso ninth
The English pilot Lewis hamilton (Mercedes) set the best time in the first practice session of the Turkish Grand Prix, where it will be difficult to achieve victory due to a penalty, while the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Fernando Alonso (Alpine) have started fifth and ninth, respectively.
Before the engines started at the Intercity Istanbul Park, Mercedes mechanics were forced to change the combustion chamber of Hamilton's car. According to the regulations, the stipulated sanction is ten places on Sunday's starting grid, so the British knows that it will be difficult to maintain the leadership of the World Cup next Sunday.
This setback did not disturb the driving of the current champion, who stopped the clock at 1: 24.178 and was more than four tenths ahead of his great rival for the title, Max verstappen (Red Bull), who drove a new white car in tribute to Honda, the brand that powers the Austrian team.
Charles Leclerc was third to 51 thousandths of the Dutch and the fifth position of Carlos Sainz, who lost almost seven tenths with Hamilton, rounded off the good start of the 'Scuderia'. The Madrid driver took hope with a view to a possible comeback on Sunday, when he will start last due to suspension.
For his part, Fernando Alonso placed ninth, 1.2 seconds behind the best record, and lost the first heads-up with his teammate Esteban Ocon, sixth with more than half a second ahead. In addition, Lando Norris (McLaren), Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) and Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), tenth, also slipped into the 'Top 10'.
