Gasly fastest in rain-hit practice in Turkey

ISTANBUL: Pierre Gasly was fastest in the rain-hit morning practice session for the Turkish Grand Prix on Saturday as a string of drivers spun in the puddles on the track.

Nikita Mazepin, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher all spun in a session that started in drizzle and with pools on the track surface.

When George Russell’s Williams went off, the session was halted for eight minutes for a red flag. “I’m beached,” he told his team. As a drier line emerged, times improved. Frenchman Gasly dove the quickest lap in 1min 30.447sec in his Alpha Tauri. Dutchman Verstappen then recorded a time 0.164sec slower in his Red Bull. At the end of the session Mexican Sergio Perez, in the other Red Bull, put up the third best time, 0.237 behind Gasly.