Fernando Alonso was the fastest man in first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix as he mastered the changeable weather conditions.
An early shower left parts of the track under a thin layer of water, whilst some corners remained completely dry, therefore requiring a very different style of driving.
The Spaniard’s 1:55.198 was good enough for him to beat the two Force Indias to the top spot, with Paul di Resta narrowly ahead of Adrian Sutil.
The mixed conditions certainly through up a mixed result, with McLaren’s Sergio Perez fourth, whilst team-mate Jenson Button, who finally finished 14th – dominated the wettest part of the session.
FP1 Times – 2013 Belgian Grand Prix:
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:55.198 | 11 | |
| 02 | P. di Resta | Force India | 1:55.224 | +0.026 | 10 |
| 03 | A. Sutil | Force India | 1:55.373 | +0.175 | 11 |
| 04 | S. Perez | McLaren | 1:55.518 | +0.320 | 14 |
| 05 | N. Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:55.614 | +0.416 | 10 |
| 06 | S. Vettel | Red Bull | 1:55.636 | +0.438 | 14 |
| 07 | E. Gutierrez | Sauber | 1:55.954 | +0.756 | 18 |
| 08 | N. Hulkenberg | Sauber | 1:56.110 | +0.912 | 11 |
| 09 | D. Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 1:56.770 | +1.572 | 14 |
| 10 | V. Bottas | Williams | 1:56.858 | +1.660 | 18 |
| 11 | F. Massa | Ferrari | 1:56.863 | +1.665 | 10 |
| 12 | P. Maldonado | Williams | 1:57.081 | +1.883 | 14 |
| 13 | J-E. Vergne | Toro Rosso | 1:57.084 | +1.886 | 17 |
| 14 | J. Button | McLaren | 1:57.281 | +2.083 | 14 |
| 15 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:57.358 | +2.160 | 10 |
| 16 | H. Kovalainen | Caterham | 1:57.821 | +2.623 | 16 |
| 17 | G. van der Garde | Caterham | 1:57.887 | +2.689 | 16 |
| 18 | M. Chilton | Marussia | 1:58.600 | +3.402 | 14 |
| 19 | M. Webber | Red Bull | 1:58.929 | +3.731 | 12 |
| 20 | J. Bianchi | Marussia | 1:59.209 | +4.011 | 12 |
| 21 | K. Raikkonen | Lotus | 1:59.441 | +4.243 | 11 |
| 22 | R. Grosjean | Lotus | 2:03.176 | +7.978 | 15 |
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