2016 F1 Round 9 Austrian Grand Prix FP1 – Rosberg fastest, Verstappen damages front wing

Rosberg set a 1:07.373 on ultrasoft tyres in Austrian Grand Prix FP1, a new best for the Red Bull Ring at that point. Hamilton was second on a 1:07.730, 0.357 seconds behind his team-mate.

Archive photograph from the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, showing Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley talking in the Williams paddock.

Hamilton went off at Turns 1 and 8. Vettel was third with a 1:08.022 and Räikkönen fourth, with both Ferraris also using ultrasoft tyres.

Ricciardo finished the session fifth on supersoft tyres, with Sainz sixth. Massa, Verstappen, Kvyat and Bottas occupied seventh through tenth.

Verstappen first damaged a front-wing endplate on a kerb. He later ran over a kerb again at Turn 5 and went into the Turn 6 gravel, damaging the front wing and right-front suspension. He eventually returned to the pits by motorcycle.

Hamilton spun at Turn 3 early in the session, and Grosjean also spun his Haas while taking avoiding action. Grosjean’s team-mate Gutiérrez encountered an unusual engine noise.

Ericsson approached the pits too quickly and had a big slide, forcing Ricciardo off the track at the exit of Turn 8. Haryanto then spun at Turn 8 and rejoined in front of Ricciardo.

The stewards subsequently reprimanded Ericsson and Haryanto in separate decisions. Force India’s Hülkenberg finished twelfth and Celis twenty-second.

Wehrlein also received a reprimand for speeding under the virtual safety car. With several drivers having incidents on the new kerbs, track limits became another focus of Friday morning.