Formula 1 News: Hamilton Tops Second Practice at Spanish Grand Prix
In a thrilling second practice session leading up to the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton secured the top spot on the timing board, edging out Carlos Sainz by a mere 0.022 seconds. The seven-time Formula 1 champion showcased his exceptional driving skills, jumping to the front of the pack during the mid-session soft tyre runs.
Home favourite Sainz initially took the lead, utilizing the C3 tyres, the softest compound for this weekend’s Grand Prix. However, George Russell briefly claimed the top spot, posting a 1m14.089s on medium tyres. Lando Norris, who impressed in FP1 with a 1m14.197s, couldn’t quite match Russell’s pace.
Sainz then switched to the red-walled tyres, recording a 1m13.286s, which briefly stood as the benchmark. Norris attempted to challenge this time but fell short by 0.033 seconds. Max Verstappen, despite setting the best first and third sectors on his first qualifying-adjacent lap, lost 0.3 seconds in the middle sector, ultimately finishing behind Sainz.
Hamilton then took his Mercedes to the top, posting a 1m13.264s thanks to a strong final sector, just two hundredths clear of Sainz’s earlier effort. As the session progressed, the focus shifted to race runs, solidifying the timing board as the teams and drivers assessed their cars in race trim.
“Sainz and Norris completed the top three, all within a 0.055s bracket of Hamilton’s best effort. Pierre Gasly pulled off a surprising lap, good enough to split Verstappen from the leading trio. Charles Leclerc finished sixth fastest, while Ferrari experimented with his SF-24’s suspension settings to extract more pace.”
Oscar Piastri secured the seventh spot ahead of Russell, who struggled with an apparent lack of stopping power on board his Mercedes. Esteban Ocon’s ninth-fastest time was a positive sign for Alpine, as both A524s featured in the top half of the timesheets. Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top 10, ahead of the two Haas cars.
For the latest Formula 1 news, Formula 1 standings, and Formula 1 calendar, visit our website.
🔗 Source