F1: Charles Leclerc fastest in practice for Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and pips Max Verstappen

Charles Leclerc continued where he left off in Bahrain by posting the fastest time in first practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Five days after winning Formula One’s season opener, Leclerc was back on track and back at the top of the time charts.

Leclerc pipped world champion Max Verstappen by 0.116 seconds. The Monegasque beat the Red Bull driver to pole position in Bahrain last weekend before securing victory in the first race of the season as Verstappen was forced to retire late on.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc posted the fasted time in practice for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

World Champion Max Verstappen finished second 0.116 seconds behind the Ferrari driver

The sport was last in Saudi Arabia only in December for the penultimate round of Hamilton’s titanic championship duel with Verstappen.

The seven-time champion came up trumps that day to take the title race to the wire but was off the pace this time round.

Mercedes have looked behind the eight ball since the first testing session in Barcelona and their struggles continued on Thursday as Lewis Hamilton finished only ninth.   

Mercedes’s struggles continued as seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton finished only ninth

Hamilton could only finish fifth in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix last week and claimed a flattering third place only due to Red Bull’s two late retirements.

The British driver was 1.592 seconds behind in practice as his Mercedes team fight to get on top of the new regulations.

In the closing stages, Hamilton also clipped the wall at the opening bend of the sport’s fastest street circuit, but he escaped without major damage.

The woes continued for Mercedes as Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell could only manage 15th, two seconds back. 

Mercedes team-mate George Russell could only manage 15th, two seconds back

Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas was third fastest on the 3.8-mile Jeddah Corniche Circuit and was 0.312 seconds behind Leclerc. Carlos Sainz was fourth best for Ferrari. 

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen came back to the garage after only a few minutes because of a hydraulic problem and did not get back out on track.

The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag after about 20 minutes when McLaren driver Lando Norris clipped the wall heading into Turn 1 and a board fell onto the track.

A second practice session will take place later Friday under floodlights.