Formula One: Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in first French GP practice

Paris - Bottas topped the timesheets in one minute 33.448 seconds, with Hamilton 0.335 slower

Valtteri Bottas led Formula One world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes one-two in first practice for the French Grand Prix at Le Castellet on Friday.

After two tough street races for the reigning champions, Mercedes are hoping for a return to winning ways at a southern circuit they have dominated since its return to the calendar in 2018.

Seven-times world champion Hamilton won from pole position in 2018 and 2019 and Mercedes have also led every practice session.

Bottas topped the timesheets in one minute 33.448 seconds, with Hamilton 0.335 slower and Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen third with a lap of 1:33.880 and Azerbaijan GP-winning team mate Sergio Perez fourth.

Verstappen is four points clear of Hamilton after six rounds.

“Those yellow rumble strips on the exit of turn two have done an awful lot of damage to our car. They are just too aggressive,” complained Mercedes sporting director Ron Meadows over the radio to race director Michael Masi.