F1 photos GP Spain 2018 (Friday): The pictures from free practice

M it the first The Formula 1 circus officially kicked off the European season on Friday (May 11, 2018) in Barcelona during both training sessions. A good two months after the winter test drives, the cars returned to the Grand Prix circuit in Catalonia with technical changes in many areas. The greater the excitement was to see who could make the greatest progress in terms of performance.

Training with numerous slips

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Hardly any pilot got through the training sessions without errors.

But first the pilots had to groove their way onto the newly paved course again. The stormy wind made life even more difficult for them. The gusts changed direction again and again, which led to some spins. Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll were no longer able to get out of the gravel beds on their own after their slips.

The first training sessions also gave fans the opportunity to see the cars, some of which were heavily modified, in action for the first time at the Observe route. Especially at the Ferrari with its new rear-view mirrors attached to the halo and the McLaren with its new, eye-catching nose, it was worth taking a closer look.

Technology Festival in Barcelona

At Red Bull they made it easier Engineers help fans identify the upgrade parts in the area of ​​the bargeboards and side pods. The parts were painted on Max Verstappen's car in neon yellow FloViz paint to make the air flow visible. Daniel Ricciardo disengaged with measuring grids on his first run. Red Bull and Force India also use electronic sensors for the aero tests.

As always, action junkies and technology fans come to our galleryequally at their expense. We have put together a colorful mix of pictures from the track and detailed shots from the pit lane.