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Ferrari fastest in 1st Spanish GP practice session

Xinhua, May 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel was the fastest driver in the first practice session ahead of Sunday' s Spanish Grand Prix in the Circuit de Catalunya, just outside of Barcelona on Friday.

Vettel posted a time of one minute, 23.951 seconds, slightly ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

World Championship leader Nico Rosberg, who has won the last 7 Grand Prixes, was third slightly ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The main reason for the time differences between the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers is that Ferrari used faster soft tyres for their laps, while the Mercedes team preferred to make their runs using slower running medium-compound tyres.

Red Bull' s Daniel Ricciardi posted the 5th fastest time, while 18-year-old Red Bull debutant Max Verstappen was sixth.

There was slightly disappointing news for Spanish fans as local favorites Carlos Saenz and Fernando Alonso posted the eighth and tenth fastest times ahead of the afternoon session. Endit