P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It might not have been a representative session but it was still fascinating nonetheless.
The Aston Martin driver set the fastest lap time of 1:31.116s, outpacing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.150s and Max Verstappen by an additional 0.126s.
Albon could only watch as Alonso unexpectedly topped the session after two years, with the incident of Albon’s rear-brake fire eventually leading to him being ruled out for the rest of the run.
This marked Alonso’s first practice session topping since Canada in 2024, with the team grappling to address the hardware issue while Albon tried to manage the smoke in discomfort.
The session was held under unusual afternoon conditions for data collection, featuring various lap time fluctuations and surprises like Alonso’s performance showcasing track evolution and competitiveness.
A mix of tyre strategies and striking performances from drivers like Sainz, Leclerc, Verstappen, and Norris added intrigue to the session before Alonso clinched the top spot by a fraction of a second due to track evolution.
