Dutch GP: Productive FP1 for Williams Racing

Team Summary:
On what would be the return of Formula One to the Netherlands the Williams Racing Team would begin their opening Friday practice for the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. The start of the session would see a rush of drivers come out with a mix of hard and medium tyres. Sainz would set the first time with a 1m:20.328 only to see Leclerc the Bottas go quicker. But Gasly would set a 1m:15.301 followed by Ricciardo and Bottas. Alonso was now second followed by Ricciardo and Stroll. Sainz would again be quickest with a 1m:14.610 followed by Gasly and Alonso. As more times were set Verstappen was now quickest with a 1m:13.045 followed by Ricciardo and Norris.

For Williams their cars after their first runs were 12th and 17th as Bottas went quickest with a 1m:13.021. Verstappen was again fastest with a 1m:12.850 followed by Bottas and Norris. Stroll was now second ahead of Bottas. With fifteen minutes completed the Williams cars were 12th and 13th. A 1m:12.755 from Verstappen as he remained fastest from now Bottas and Hamilton. Gasly was fourth followed by Alonso, Norris, Stroll, Ricciardo, Leclerc and Sainz in tenth. Vettel would stop at the side of the flag with what he reported was an engine failure. The session would be Red Flagged with Norris now quickest with a 1m:12.679. There would be a lengthy delay as his car was recovered. And with six minutes remaining the session would restart. Everyone who was coming out were on the soft tyre including both Williams.

Leclerc was now quickest but Sainz would move ahead with a 1m:11.950 but Bottas would set a 1m:11.738 only to see Hamilton quicker with a 1m:11.500. Verstappen would move into second splitting the two Mercedes. Leclerc was able to improve to be third but Sainz was again able to move ahead to be third behind Verstappen. The order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz, Leclerc, Bottas, Alonso, Ocon, Giovinazzi, Stroll, and Gasly tenth. The Williams cars were 12th and 15th after the brief flurry of soft tyre times in the last moments of the session.

George Russell:
After a bit of a delay George would come out running on the medium. A 1m:17.057 would see George 11th dropping to 13th. This would become 17th. But on his next lap he would set a 1m:15.086 to be 11th dropping to 15th. A 1m:13.877 and George was now 12th. He would be forced to pit with a Red Flag having completed nine laps. George would return also using the soft tyre. A 1m:13.181 and George was currently 14th. He would drop to 15th as the session ended pitting after a five lap run.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would be the first out in the session for Williams using the medium tyre. A 1m:17.4211 would see Nicholas eighth. He would drop to 13th. But a 1m:15.360 and Nicholas was eighth dropping to 11th. As he continued his laps he would set a 1m:14.425 to be 13th. A further improvement with a 1m:14.110 would see him 13th. Nicholas would pit briefly but would return again on the medium tyre. But with a Red Flag he would be forced to pit. With the restart Nicholas would come out on the soft tyre. He would set a 1m:13.470 to be currently 14th. He would drop to 16th but a 1m:12.907 would see Nicholas move into 12th pitting after a six lap run.