Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Practice – Friday

Weather: FP1: sunny and dry, 22-23°C air, 40-43°C track; FP2: cloudy and dry, 19- 20°C air, 27-32°C track
It was an overall productive day of free practices for the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team in Baku. Both drivers put in a decent performance during the first practice session. During FP2, Charles Leclerc practiced his short-runs in preparation for tomorrow's qualifying. Marcus Ericsson completed a good first run on soft tyres before having to end his session early due to an issue with his car's transmission. With a forecast change in weather and the temperatures getting colder, tomorrow's qualifying ahead of the 2018 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has the potential to be an interesting one - especially in terms of tyre management. The two drivers are confident and look forward to continuing on a positive path for the rest of the weekend.
Marcus Ericsson (car number 9):
C37 (Chassis 03/Ferrari)
1st practice: 17th / 1:47.073 min (21 laps) / 2nd practice: 20th / 1:46.042 min (9 laps)
"It was not the best Friday for me. FP1 was good, but then in FP2 we had to cut the session short due to a problem we had on the car. Unfortunately, I was only able to complete a few laps during my first run. It is a bit disappointing because it looks like there is good potential there for us. On the positive side, we were in the mix with the midfield during FP1. We should be able to bounce back tomorrow and have a stronger day."
Charles Leclerc (car number 16):
C37 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)
1st practice: 16th / 1:46.875 min (21 laps) / 2nd practice: 16th / 1:44.940 min (30 laps)
"It was an ok day overall. We had two quite positive sessions. Our race pace looks good, and we still have a bit of work to do in preparation for tomorrow's qualifying. It is generally an interesting track in terms of tyre management. Given the possibility of a change in weather for the next two days it may become even more interesting. I look forward to being back in the car."