With track temperature levels some 10 degrees hotter than in FP1 today, Hamiltons finest time from the certifying simulations in FP2 was a 1m 16.883 s, 0.098 s slower than Bottas session-leading time from earlier in the day– while Bottas had a little hesitation at Turn 16 on his fastest flying lap, which might partly describe the space to his team mate, in the past later running slightly off the track at Turn 12 on his long run.
Mercedes secured their second one-two of Fridays sessions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Lewis Hamilton heading team mate Valtteri Bottas by 0.287 s in Free Practice 2 for the Spanish Grand Prix, with Red Bulls Max Verstappen third.
FP1: Bottas pips Hamilton in very first practice for the Spanish GP as Vettel gets closer to Leclerc
As he was today, Verstappen was the finest non-Mercedes runner, 0.821 s adrift of Hamilton for Red Bull. Behind however, came 2 of the most outstanding performances of the session, Daniel Ricciardo reconfirming Renaults strong one-lap pace just recently by going fourth fastest, 0.164 s off Verstappen.
Meanwhile, after winding up P6 this morning, Romain Grosjean went one better in FP2, winding up 5th to round off what performance-wise was Haas most favorable day of 2020 so far– although that was polluted slightly by a late issue on Grosjeans automobile, which the team were set to examine after the session.
1
Lewis
Hamilton
HAM
Mercedes
1:16.883
2
Valtteri
Bottas
BOT
Mercedes
+0.287 s.
3.
+0.821 s.
Max.
Verstappen.
VER.
Red Bull Racing.
4.
Daniel.
Ricciardo.
RIC.
Renault.
+0.985 s.
5.
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Grosjean was enjoying himself on Friday … till he suffered a loss of power.
FP2 Highlights: 2020 Spanish Grand Prix.
Romain.
Grosjean.
GRO.
Haas F1 Team.
Behind Vettel and Albon, Lando Norris was 14th for McLaren, ahead of the second AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat and the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen, who was not able to summon up the one-lap rate of Grosjean.
+1.250 s.
After starting the last race at the back of the grid, Alfa Romeo will have been slightly cheered to have headed Williams in FP2, Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi in P17 and P18, while Nicholas Latifi was the leading Williams driver, George Russell going back to his vehicle having actually given it up to Roy Nissany this early morning, with the Briton grumbling that the feeling behind the wheel of his FW43 resembled “driving on ice”, as he wound up 2.508 s off the supreme speed in P20.
Having actually completed simply a tenth behind his Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc in FP1, Sebastian Vettel struggled more in FP2, ending up in P12 to Leclercs P6, albeit the pair were separated by a not-enormous 0.257 s. It was definitely a smaller gap than the one from Verstappen to Alex Albon in P13, which stood at 0.787 s after the quali simulations, Albon having made a mistake out of Turn 5 on his fastest lap.
Completing the leading 10 came the second Renault of Esteban Ocon, who grumbled about an absence of rear stability on his R.S. 20 prior to ending up ninth, while 10th was Pierre Gasly for AlphaTauri, 0.045 s ahead of the 2nd Racing Point of Lance Stroll in P11.
Mercedes are ahead– but can the likes of Renault, Haas and Ferrari keep themselves in among the sharp end of the action when certifying gets under method? Well learn on Saturday.
FOUND OUT MORE: Sainz hoping McLaren fix rest stop weak point and cooling issues ahead of house race.
Behind Leclerc in 6th, Carlos Sainz was P7 for McLaren in his brand-new MCL35 chassis– Vettel also running his own new SF1000 chassis, after a fracture was found on his old one– while Sergio Perez was eighth on his first day back at the wheel of his Racing Point RP20 because contracting Covid-19.
