FP2 – Singapore: Ferrari and Sainz position themselves

Will we see a three-team battle on the streets of Singapore? After the surprise Lewis Hamilton in Free Practice 1, here are the Ferrari at the top of the timesheet this Friday evening in Asia. Carlos Sainz indeed dominated his teammate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes by George Russell after an extremely close session between the three main teams. 

The first half hour was a battle between Lewis Hamilton, first to set the reference time, and Carlos Sainz, the Spanish Scuderia driver. The two men in fact exchanged the best time twice, before the No. 55 took a definitive advantage thanks in particular to great ease in the second sector. 

His teammate Charles Leclerc had another mechanically complicated session. After missing twenty-five minutes of driving due to a brake problem in FP1, the Monegasque once again had to wait the last half hour before getting into his car, frankly annoyed by the situation, as he made it known on his radio at the end of the session. He still managed to take second place in the session despite only completing 13 laps. 

George Russell shone on the Singapore night. © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

Very active in EL1 and above all very impressive before being dispossessed of the best lap by Hamilton, Max Verstappen also rode very little in this session, failing in 4th position, 339 thousandths behind Sainz but ahead of his British rival who finished 5th. As in EL1, Esteban Ocon once again finished best of the others in 6th position, ahead of Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso et Sergio Perez. 

Note the unusual incident suffered by Pierre Gasly in the pit lane. Back in front of his box twenty minutes from the end, the Norman felt the fire behind his back when the air intake located at the level of the engine hood caught fire. Fortunately, Pierre was able to quickly get out of his vehicle, and the fire was quickly brought under control to the point that he was back on the track without improving his 14th position. 

Finally, like EL1, several drivers were trapped by the Singaporean track, notably Hag and Bottas who shot straight into the turn 14 loophole. Kevin Magnussen was also allowed to go straight at another place on the circuit, like Gasly himself who missed the left turn of the tunnel and had to reverse a long way to get going again. Continuation and end of free practice on Saturday at 12 p.m., with free practice 3, which will precede qualifying at 15 p.m. 

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