Kimi Brasil

A relatively cool morning by Valencia standards saw Lotus F1 Team trial a range of new parts for the E20, as Kimi and Romain ran through a typically busy schedule to bring the cars home in P10 / P11 respectively

                                                                
Kimi Räikkönen, E20-03

• Position: P10
• Best Time: 1:41.620
• Laps Completed: 22

Romain Grosjean, E20-04

• Position: P11
• Best Time: 1:41.784
• Laps Completed: 15

For a full run-down of the session’s final standings.

Key Moments:

• 3mins: Kimi and Romain head out for install laps on the white marked medium compound Pirelli tyres
• 30mins: Both drivers emerge for their first runs, returning in P2 (Kimi) and P3 (Romain)
• 57mins: Second stint for the Frenchman on scrubbed mediums
• 60mins: Same again for the Finn; scrubbed mediums for run number two
• 83mins: Final stint of the session for Kimi
• 90mins: Chequered flag; Kimi P10, Romain P11

Summary:

After the intense heat of Thursday, Friday morning brought far cooler conditions as the first session of the weekend kicked off at the Valencia Street Circuit.

A host of alterations to both E20s were on show as the garage shutters rolled up, including floor, rear suspension and steering tweaks for Kimi and a new front wing for Romain.

With three minutes elapsed, both drivers departed the garage for their install laps on matching sets of the white marked medium compound Pirelli tyre.

A lull in the action followed while various adjustments were made to the cars, with first runs for the Finn and Frenchman eventually kicking off with thirty minutes on the board.

Kimi instantly went quickest with his opening lap, with Romain following close behind. As the first runs came to a close, the pair found themselves in second and third respectively.

Both drivers returned to the tarmac for their second runs with just over half an hour remaining, working through the usual Friday programme focused on developing the car for Sunday’s race rather than seeking outright single lap pace.

This would prove to be the final stint of the morning for Romain, who remained deep in discussion with his engineers down in the garage for the rest of the session.

Kimi meanwhile took to the track or one final run with seven minutes to go, rounding things off by putting the pit-crew through their paces with a practice stop.

As the chequered flag dropped, Kimi found himself in P10 with a best time of 1:41.620 from 22 laps, while Romain’s best effort of 1:41.784 from 15 laps was good enough for P11.