New technical packages or the deployment of two rookies at Williams and Red Bull. Who dominated the first practice session in Barcelona?

This season, the Formula 1 season came with a new rule about the compulsory use of rookies and reserve drivers in the two practice blocks before the grand prix. And in Barcelona, for the first time, this rule was enforced. Nyck de Vries in Williams and Jüri Vips in Red Bull got in on the action.

As usual, the teams brought a large number of updates and technical packages to Barcelona to help each stable with the problems they are currently facing.

Mercedes are still trying to sort out the overly large porpoising, Ferrari have narrowed the side skirts and Aston Martin have literally copied Red Bull’s side skirts. However, a number of teams have come up with fairly significant improvements, so it will be interesting to see what the real strength of the individual monoblocs will be over the course of the race weekend.

Due to the new sporting regulations that came into force this year, teams must ensure that rookies participate in at least the first two practice sessions. This means that each team must guarantee a chance to a driver who has started in less than two Grands Prix.

So Williams put de Vries in, Red Bull gave Estonian Vips a chance. However, de Vries has been speculated to be making a switch to Williams specifically, and in practice he has come into direct comparison with Nicholas Latifi. It is with him that the Dutchman should eventually swap places.

The duel between the two riders worked out better for de Vries, who finished eighteenth, one place ahead of his teammate.

As for Vips, he took his place in Sergio Pérez’s car and was very likely busy collecting data for the race. In fact, the Estonian was running on the hardest tyre specification and was losing around the same amount of time, which is what the race simulation records.

The driver from the Baltic, for example, did not use DRS (rear wing opening system allowing acceleration – ed.). Vips returned after F1 practice to fight for pole position in F2 qualifying. He eventually finished last in the Queen of Motorsport practice.

This is how the final results of the first free practice session look like.

Robert Kubica in the Alfa Romeo also took to the track. The Polish veteran replaced Kuan-yu Zhou, who is the only newcomer this season who also races regularly. Kubica entered last year as a substitute for Finn Räikkönen and has been a regular Alfa Romeo driver in practice, with the 37-year-old finishing in thirteenth position.

The practice session was won by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, who set a time of 1:19.828. He was joined in the top three by team-mate Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. The Mercedes cars are looking very good, with fifth-placed Fernando Alonso also doing well.

Source: F1 TV