Valtteri Bottas led an extremely close one-two for Mercedes in the second practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Just three thousandths of a second separated Bottas from team mate Lewis Hamilton after their qualifying simulation runs on the super-soft tyres.Ferrari were right on the pace once again as well, Sebastian Vettel lapping seven-hundredths of a second off Bottas’s time. But despite their one-lap pace both cars exhibited signs of tyre blistering during their long runs at the end of the session.
The Red Bull pair separated Vettel from his team mate. Daniel Ricciardo was the quicker of the two, but the morning pace setter Max Verstappen missed much of the first half of the session while his team repaired a cracked oil tower.
Romain Grosjean was seventh – and best of the rest – for the second session in a row. The other occupants of the top 10 were also no different: the other Haas of Kevin Magnussen – which lost its right-hand mirror at the end of practice – Charles Leclerc’s Sauber and Esteban Ocon’s Force India.
Sergio Perez, who sat out the first session while Nicholas Latifi drove his car, backed his team mate up in 11th place. Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) were just a few hundredths of a second slower.
The session was red-flagged early on after Nico Hulkenberg crashed heavily at Juncao, damaging the right-hand side of his Renault. Hulkenberg climbed out of his car unhurt.
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Second practice visual gaps
Valtteri Bottas – 1’08.846
+0.003 Lewis Hamilton – 1’08.849
+0.073 Sebastian Vettel – 1’08.919
+0.318 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’09.164
+0.493 Max Verstappen – 1’09.339
+0.566 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’09.412
+0.923 Romain Grosjean – 1’09.769
+1.097 Charles Leclerc – 1’09.943
+1.161 Kevin Magnussen – 1’10.007
+1.313 Esteban Ocon – 1’10.159
+1.474 Sergio Perez – 1’10.320
+1.484 Pierre Gasly – 1’10.330
+1.486 Fernando Alonso – 1’10.332
+1.612 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’10.458
+1.686 Marcus Ericsson – 1’10.532
+1.723 Sergey Sirotkin – 1’10.569
+1.750 Stoffel Vandoorne – 1’10.596
+1.816 Lance Stroll – 1’10.662
+1.888 Brendon Hartley – 1’10.734
+2.828 Nico Hulkenberg – 1’11.674
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
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2018 Brazilian Grand Prix
- “I have this Force India behind…”: Team radio highlights from the Brazilian GP
- Hamilton takes 19th win in two years, needs 19 more to equal Schumacher
- 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix Star Performers
- Top ten pictures from the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix
- Verstappen’s ruined masterpiece becomes Hamilton’s latest triumph
Joao (@johnmilk)
9th November 2018, 19:46
Just came here to be pedantic and defend Camões’ language, it is Junção, mot Juncao, but most likely those are not coded in in a UK keyboard
dusty (@dusty)
9th November 2018, 20:04
@João *Camoes’
Nitzo (@webtel)
10th November 2018, 5:45
Entire grid is within 1.9 seconds of each other.
Is the closest we have seen this year ?