Malaysia EL2: Hamilton raises the bar

At the end of the second free practice session held on the Sepang track in Malaysia, the team Mercedes has once again placed itself at the forefront thanks to Lewis Hamilton. The reigning World Champion, slowed down by mechanical problems in EL1, set the best time thanks to a lap completed in 1’39”790, not without having known a telemetry problem during the 90 minutes of driving.

Behind the Briton, it is la Ferrari by Kimi Räikkönen which confirms the good impressions seen in EL1. Leading the session for a long time, the Finn finally finished second, 373 thousandths behind the leading Mercedes W06 Hybrid. Iceman slots in between the two Silver Arrows since Rosberg ranks 3rd.

Russian Daniil Kvyat places first car motorized by Renault in fourth position, despite obviously having a problem in the final moments of FP2. He is ahead of both Williams FW37 Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, and the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel, author of a spin. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso), Marcus Ericsson (Sauber) and Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) complete the top 10.

This session was marked by several off-piste excursions, notably that of Roberto Merhi (Manor) having caused a red flag while the Spaniard's car was stuck in the gravel trap to be evacuated. Romain Grosjean was slowed down by a mechanical problem on his Lotus and only set the 18th fastest time.

Photos from the Malaysian Grand Prix can be viewed here.