Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in first French GP practice
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[June 18, 2021]
(Reuters) - Valtteri Bottas led
Formula One world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes
one-two in first practice for the French Grand Prix at Le Castellet
on Friday.
After two tough street races for the reigning champions, Mercedes
are hoping for a return to winning ways at a southern circuit they
have dominated since its return to the calendar in 2018.
Seven-times world champion Hamilton won from pole position in 2018
and 2019 and Mercedes have also led every practice session.
Bottas topped the timesheets in one minute 33.448 seconds, with
Hamilton 0.335 slower and Red Bull's championship leader Max
Verstappen third with a lap of 1:33.880 and Azerbaijan GP-winning
team mate Sergio Perez fourth.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/18/images/ads/current/charrons_bch041713.png)
Verstappen is four points clear of Hamilton after six
rounds.
Alpine's Esteban Ocon was fifth and McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo sixth
with Alpine's double world champion Fernando Alonso seventh.
Neither Ferrari made the top 10, with Charles Leclerc 11th and Carlos
Sainz 16th.
Several drivers, including Bottas, damaged their cars and tyres on the
kerbs and brightly painted abrasive run-off areas.
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![](../images/061821PIX/bottas_small.jpg)
Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas during
practice REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
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Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel hit
the barriers backwards and nursed his damaged car back to the pits,
a set of tyres wrecked.
"Those yellow rumble strips on the exit of turn two have done an
awful lot of damage to our car. They are just too aggressive,"
complained Mercedes sporting director Ron Meadows over the radio to
race director Michael Masi.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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