Formula One: Rosberg Tops Session, Hamilton Takes Penalties

Muhammad Rameez Published August 26, 2016 | 04:04 PM

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -26th Augst,2016) - Nico Rosberg topped the times ahead of his Mercedes team-mate and world championship leader Lewis Hamilton in Friday morning's opening free practice for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. The 31-year-old German, seeking to take advantage of impending penalties that will relegate Hamilton to the back of the grid, clocked a best lap in one minute and 48.348 seconds in an uninspiring session run in hot conditions at the spectacular Spa circuit in the Ardennes. This left him seven-tenths of a second clear of Hamilton and third-placed Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari. Mexican Sergio Perez, who is linked with several rival teams for 2017, was fourth for Force India, ahead of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari and the Red Bulls of Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Dutch teenager Max Verstappen.

The introduction of a revised power unit by Honda made an inauspicious start for McLaren with Briton Jenson Button down in 18th and team-mate Fernando Alonso unable to clock a time following a water leak. Both Rosberg, who trails Hamilton by 19 points in the title race with nine races remaining, and Hamilton were given new Mercedes power-units for the session, a move that the team confirmed will mean Hamilton has at least a 15-place penalty on the grid. Hamilton is expected to have another new power-unit installed for the second session on Friday and the third on Saturday morning, actions that may lead to him taking an overall record grid penalty of 75 places.