Räikkönen and Ferrari respond in FP2 in China

The super-soft tires benefited the drivers of the Team Ferrari in Shanghai, China. For the second driving session of the day, the SF16-H of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel showed themselves to be the most energetic, ahead of the Mercedes W07 Hybrid by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

The Finn is the only one to have gone below 1’37” per lap, achieving a better performance in 1'36 "896, 109 thousandths ahead of his teammate Vettel. Rosberg climbs to third place by more than two tenths while Hamilton is relegated to more than four tenths.

Behind the Ferrari-Mercedes duo, Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) points more than 1″2 from Räikkönen and precedes the Toro Rosso by Max Verstapppen. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) follows in the ranking ahead of the second STR11 of Carlos Sainz and the Force India VJM09 of Sergio Pérez. Valtteri Bottas completes the top 10 at the wheel of his Williams.

Both McLaren de Fernando Alonso, authorized to compete in the rest of the weekend's sessions, and Jenson Button failed to make the top 10, just ahead of Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) and the Williams of Felipe Massa, back in action after his misadventures in EL1.

Pirelli also indicated that the tires themselves were not to blame in the problems encountered by the Brazilian and the Dane Kevin Magnussen, the only driver not to have taken to the track in FP2. Renault indicated that it was carrying out the investigation to determine the exact problem encountered on the R.S.16.

Romain Grosjean (Haas) finished 16th, while his teammate Esteban Gutiérrez, after electrical problems in FP1, suffered brake problems, with flames escaping from the rear axle of the VF-16.