Australian GP-EL2: Lewis Hamilton in the lead, Palmer in the wall

If the first practice session held earlier in the morning had taken place without incident and had allowed Lewis Hamilton designate the first best time of the season, the second session in Melbourne was much more lively on the track.

First of all it’s Jolyon Palmer (Renault) who caused a red flag when he made a mistake at the last corner of the Albert Park track. The Briton lost the back of his car before hitting the wall of tires quite violently with the left rear part of his R.S. 17.

 RED FLAG  @JolyonPalmer crashes into the barriers at the final corner #AusGP #F1 # FP2 pic.twitter.com/fMiujuQS5T

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 24, 2017

A few moments later, it’s Felipe Massa (Williams) who is forced to stop on the track at turn no. 10. The yellow flags were displayed until the FW40 could be evacuated. The virtual safety car procedure will finally be deployed less than five minutes from the end of the session to evacuate the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson, who made a mistake in the gravel trap at turn 6.

Another driver is off! @Ericsson_Marcus beached in the gravel between turns six and seven #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/MUjRahTkyM

- Formula 1 (@ F1) March 24, 2017

On the chrono side, Lewis Hamilton finally finished in 1’23”620 in ultra-soft tires and precedes the Ferrari de Sebastian Vettel, pointed at more than five tenths of the Mercedes head, this time with the same compound of rubbers. Valtteri Bottas completes the trifecta of the session at nine thousandths from Vettel and precedes the second Ferrari of Kimi Räikkönen, classified at nine tenths, and the last driver under second.

Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) hoists the first RB13 into fifth position in front of the sister car of Max Verstappen, who only completed eight laps after a scare at turn 12, and achieved his time on super-soft tires. Good performance of Carlos Sainz who progresses in the hierarchy with his Toro Rosso in seventh position.

“Yep, I went off there…” Scary moment for @Max33Verstappen at turn 12 #AusGP  #F1 pic.twitter.com/2mW3DYFObR

- Formula 1 (@ F1) March 24, 2017

Romain Grosjean, despite his problems with wheel locks and off-trajectory passages in the session, hoisted his Haas VF17 in eighth place in front Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) and Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso).

The Force India of Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon frame in 11th and 13th position the McLaren de Fernando Alonso, 12th in these EL2s. Felipe Massa (Williams) finished 14th, more than 2″7 ahead of Marcus Ericsson (Sauber), Lance stroll (Williams), Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren), Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber), Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Jolyon Palmer (Renault).

#F1 #AusGP - @LewisHamilton fastest again in @F1 @ausgrandprix second practice pic.twitter.com/M4XrMQLA1d

- FIA (@fia) March 24, 2017

The third free practice session will begin tomorrow morning at 4 a.m. before qualifying which will be followed live on our website from 7 a.m.

EL2 Australian GP standings