In an opening session with one red flag interruption, caused by an early on-track stoppage for Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich who is standing in for the injured Lance Stroll, reigning world champion Verstappen traded best lap times with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Sainz’s 1m33.253s led for the majority of the morning, but was beaten by Verstappen’s 1m32.959s set 35 minutes before the lunch interval.
