While lap times during winter testing aren't always indicative of a team's true pace, several teams were no doubt happy with the amount of laps they completed on Friday, with Red Bull topping the list. Max Verstappen finished the session with the fastest lap, clocking in at 1:30.674. However the Milton Keynes outfit are likely more pleased with the 139 laps the Dutchman completed, as the team got through both sessions without any major technical problems. Alfa Romeo and Alpine also got in their fair share of laps, with the two team teams finishing second and third respectively. Alfa had both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi split duties, while Esteban Ocon was the lone Alpine driver to take to the track as he finished the day with the third fastest time. Ferrari had some issues at the end of the morning session, but Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz managed to complete 116 laps. Aston Martin and McLaren also had solid starts to their weekend, while Mercedes surprisingly ended the day with the fewest laps completed. That was largely due to Valtteri Bottas' morning session being compromised due to a gearbox problem, but either way, it likely wasn't the way the reigning champions wanted to start their weekend.
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