Brazilian GP Friday practice 2019
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Checkered flag
That's the session officially over.
Albon gets out of the car unhurt.
But the red flag will end this session so Albon, despite crashing, ends the morning quickest.
A replay shows Albon lost it coming over the hill, slewed onto the grass and accelerated straight into the tyre wall, mangling his car's right front corner.
Red flag
The session is being red-flagged as pacesetter Albon is in the barrier at the Juncao corner.
Crash
Albon has crashed!
Indeed so far no one is going faster on slicks than they had on intermediates. Though they might need to get the tyres warmed and settle in, that might mean this session fizzles out after all.
Crash
Verstappen has had a spin at the first corner. He rejoins smoothly but that suggests slicks might not be ideal after all.
Half the field is on track on slicks so expect the order to completely change now in the remaining few minutes.
Leclerc has gone for slicks... as is everyone else as a horde of drivers pour out now.
Russell couldn't improve on 11th and now pits, while Leclerc comes back out to join the Alfa Romeos on track with just over five minutes to go.
Russell currently has the track to himself. We wondered if this might be a roll of the dice on slicks to get Williams to top a session but he's still on inters.
Stopwatch
Albon stretches his margin to 0.551s over Bottas with a 1m16.142s.
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Albon is straight back on it after a cool-down lap and going quicker still.
Stopwatch
Albon comes out for his first proper run and immediately goes fastest on a 1m16.399s, 0.294s faster than Bottas.
The FIA has now enabled DRS for this session, so it's happy conditions are now decent enough.
Everyone is still on intermediates and times remain 7s from last year's dry Friday morning mark, but around most of the circuit now there's scant spray being kicked up. With 20 minutes to go, a punt on slicks wouldn't be totally crazy.
Information
No time yet: Grosjean, Perez, Verstappen, Hamilton, Albon
Information
Order: 1 Bottas; 2 Vettel; 3 Leclerc; 4 Sainz; 5 Hulkenberg; 6 Ricciardo; 7 Gasly; 8 Kvyat; 9 Norris; 10 Russell; 11 Magnussen; 12 Raikkonen; 13 Giovinazzi; 14 Stroll; 15 Latifi
Stopwatch
Bottas puts Mercedes on top for the first time today with a 1m16.693s, 0.348s faster than Vettel.
Radio Comms
Sainz asks McLaren what the weather forecast is for the afternoon. He's told it's probably going to be better, and pits.
Both Sainz and Gasly have set 'purple' sector times on recent laps without improving overall. They're third and sixth.
Radio Comms
Ricciardo reckons he "starting to damage" the tyres a little bit, which suggests the track is drying out.
Russell jumps ahead of Magnussen and Giovinazzi into ninth.
Information
Order: 1 Vettel; 2 Leclerc; 3 Sainz; 4 Hulkenberg; 5 Ricciardo; 6 Gasly; 7 Norris; 8 Kvyat; 9 Magnussen; 10 Giovinazzi
Sainz set the fastest time of anyone so far in sector one, but stays third overall.
Vettel appeared to slow suddenly exiting the Senna S but is still moving - so perhaps just part of the test programme rather than a drama.
A replay shows third-fastest Hulkenberg getting gloriously sideways under acceleration.
Gasly gets between Sainz and Ricciardo to go fifth.
Stopwatch
Vettel grabs the top spot from Leclerc with a 1m17.041s, 0.244s ahead of his team-mate. Times are now within 8s of the pace from this session last year.
Sainz moves up to fourth behind Leclerc, Vettel and Hulkenberg. Positions are moving around rapidly now as drivers get up to speed on intermediates.
Russell ran a little wide through the Juncao left-hander at the end of the lap, kicks up a bit of mud and continued.
Hulkenberg has improved to within 0.614s of Leclerc in third. Magnussen and Ricciardo are now fourth and fifth.
Vettel now joins Leclerc on inters and goes second to his team-mate, 0.459s slower.
Nico Hulkenberg is out on inters and goes second to Leclerc, 1.761s slower.
Information
Early order: 1 Leclerc; 2 Sainz; 3 Vettel; 4 Kvyat; 5 Norris; 6 Gasly
By: Geoff Creighton
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