Sergio Perez / Image: HOCH ZWEI / Pool / XPB Images
Valtteri Bottas opened the second half of the season with a record time in the first training session after the four-week Formula 1 summer break. The Finn, who sat on the ejection chair at Mercedes, was fastest on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, 16 hundredths ahead of Max Verstappen, who had hard tires on his Red Bull. Verstappen's team-mate will also be named Sergio Perez in 2022. The contract with the Mexican was extended on Friday.
For this season, Perez switched to Dietrich Mateschitz's team instead of Alex Albon and achieved four top 5 placings in the first five races. He then won his sixth in Azerbaijan, it was his second GP victory overall. Red Bull Racing is even in agreement with Verstappen by 2023.
“I'm really happy to have renewed with a great team like Red Bull,” said Perez, who has great hopes for the next season. “Everyone starts from scratch.” Team boss Christian Horner said: “Checo is a valuable team member and a great support in the fight for the constructor's title.”
Probably the first Spa best time on the Belgian high-speed track would have gone to Bottas' team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but the world champion was massively held up by Williams driver Nicholas Latifi on his fastest lap shortly before the finish line. Hamilton had to brake hard to avoid an accident with the Canadian and therefore only found himself 18th in the first timesheet.
Towards the end of the first free practice session, some rain fell in the Ardennes, which among other things led to the 42-year-old Kimi Räikkönen touching the wall when entering the pit and damaging the front wing of his car.
Before the twelfth of 23 planned World Cup races this Sunday (3 p.m. / live ORF, Sky), Hamilton (195 points) leads just ahead of Verstappen (187) and Lando Norris (113) in the McLaren. Verstappen had only lost the World Cup lead to the defending champion before the summer break.
