Spain – Free Practice 2: Lewis Hamilton takes the lead, Ferrari closes in
Lewis Hamilton once again set the fastest time in the second free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Ferraris managed to close the gap on the Silver Arrows, but remain 3rd and 4th. Good news for Spanish fans: Fernando Alonso was able to drive this afternoon!
This morning, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’s Mercedes cars dominated the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. One second behind, the Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel simply did not seem fast enough to compete with the silver arrows.
After his morning mishap during which he couldn’t complete a single timed lap, Fernando Alonso went to recharge by working out with his physical trainer, away from the circuit. This afternoon, the Spaniard was slow to leave his motor-home, emerging five minutes after the start of FP2 and running to avoid the photographers and other journalists who were waiting in front of the McLaren truck.
At the start of the session, the Ferraris quickly exit the pits and take the lead in the standings, Kimi Räikkönen ahead of Sebastian Vettel. All the drivers have hit the track on Medium tires, the most efficient this morning.
After twenty minutes, the Mercedes cars also join the battle, and Valtteri Bottas sets the benchmark at 1:23.062 while Lewis Hamilton climbs to third place. However, the times are still far from those of this morning and the benchmark set by Hamilton at 1:21.521.
Behind the four untouchables, the battle seems to be shaping up between Red Bull, Williams, and Force India. Max Verstappen takes the 5th fastest time ahead of Felipe Massa, while Daniel Ricciardo is 8th in front of Sergio Pérez. Surprisingly, Carlos Sainz slots into 7th place in his Toro Rosso. The Top 10 is completed by Stoffel Vandoorne, who is, for the moment, spared from issues with his McLaren.
After half an hour of the session, the first drivers to switch to Soft tires are the Ferrari drivers, Kevin Magnussen in his Haas and Felipe Massa, who immediately take the top four positions. They are joined by the Renaults of Nico Hülkenberg and Jolyon Palmer, briefly setting the third and fourth fastest times.
All the drivers have switched to yellow-banded tires, the softest compound brought this weekend by Pirelli. Both Mercedes are back in the lead, Hamilton (1:20.802) ahead of Bottas (1:20.892). The Ferraris follow closely behind and have managed to narrow the gap compared to this morning. Räikkönen posts a time of 1:21.112 and Vettel at 1:21.220.
Verstappen, Ricciardo, Hülkenberg, Palmer, Massa, and Sainz complete the top 10. Romain Grosjean places his Haas in 11th position, just ahead of Esteban Ocon’s Force India.
The teams are now focusing on long stints in preparation for the race, an important task for Mercedes, which has already showcased its qualities on a flying lap but often struggles with race pace since the start of the season. A session that’s already proving complicated for Räikkönen, who is required to return to the pits due to an engine problem identified on his car. The Finn returns to the track but to no avail, as the problem persists.
Half an hour before the end of the session, a red flag is waved to clear the track. A piece of carbon has detached from a Toro Rosso and ended up right in the racing line. The track is quickly reopened and the drivers resume their work.
RED FLAG🚩
Session temporarily halted as debris from SAI’s car is cleared from the exit of Turn 9#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #FP2 pic.twitter.com/n6l5Wjshiy
— Formula 1 (@F1) 12 mai 2017
During these long stints, the drivers always find a way to have fun. Verstappen slides through the last chicane but controls his car perfectly, while Räikkönen is engaged in a maneuver with Pérez’s Force India that we usually see during the race.
Hamilton’s and Bottas’ Mercedes cars are definitely very strong this weekend, both on single laps and on long stints. Ferrari still has a lot of work to do to close the gap before the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: END OF FP2
Fab Friday for @MercedesAMGF1 as they finish P1 and P2 in both sessions 💪#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #FP2 pic.twitter.com/U8fOnsQ9ky
— Formula 1 (@F1) 12 mai 2017
From our special correspondent in Barcelona
