Lewis Hamilton was caught off guard in first practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix after finishing three tenths behind Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas. F1 has not raced in Portugal since 1996, and it is the sport’s first appearance at the track in the Algarve for the first time for a world championship race. The weekend though already points towards another battle between the Mercedes duo though with Bottas finishing well over seven tenths of a second clear of third placed Verstappen. It’s the sixth race in a row the Finn has gone fastest in the first session of the weekend but only at the Russian Grand Prix two races back has he managed to convert it to victory, with Hamilton winning three of the others.

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