FP2 in Shanghai: Mercedes responds to Ferrari, Red Bull in ambush

The world championship leader stops the clock at 1'33''330 to set the Friday benchmark around the 5,4 km Shanghai circuit. Bottas eclipses it Ferrari de Sebastian Vettel, author of the best time in Free Practice 1, by 27 thousandths. 

The highest ranked Red Bull with a Honda engine edges out just two tenths, Max Verstappen lifting his RB15 to 3rd place. The gap with the rest of the field is more significant since Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) is more than seven tenths behind his teammate. 

The five-time British world champion is ahead of the surprises Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) and Carlos Sainz (McLaren), while Charles Leclerc settles for 7th fastest time aboard the second Ferrari SF90. 

Lando Norris (Renault), Daniel Ricciardo (Renault), and Pierre Gasly (Red Bull) complete the Top 10. In the second half of the table, Kimi Räikkönen is ahead of the Toro Rosso, the Racing Point, and the Haas. 

Confined for a long time in his garage in the morning, Antonio Giovinazzi could not do better than the 18th time, ahead of the Williams of Robert Kubica and George Russell, whose disbursement at the top of the timesheet – less than three seconds – does not seem as abysmal as during the first two Grands Prix of the season. 

  END OF FP2

That's the checked flag on Friday's sessions – with Bottas, Vettel and Verstappen at the top of times#ChineseGP #Race1000 pic.twitter.com/k5tKBsRbc3

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 12, 2019

With a breathtaking top speed, the Ferraris seemed to enjoy a clear advantage at the end of FP1 but Mercedes responded in the afternoon. What augurs an intense battle for pole position?

Response Saturday from 14:00 p.m. local time (08:00 a.m.) with the start of qualifying to be followed live with commentary via our live text on CARhebdo.fr. Before that, the teams will have benefited from a final chance to refine their package during Free Practice 3, which begins at 11:00 a.m. (05:00 a.m. in France).