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Team Summary:
The second Friday practice session would commence with the teams having to
run the 2021 Pirelli tyre. Each driver would have to complete a minimum
eight timed laps on these tyres. All twenty drivers were out very early
running on these tyres no doubt wanting to complete there running as quickly
as possible. With the first times been set Raikkonen was fastest with a
1m:38.943 but Hamilton would go fastest with a 1m:37.921 only to see Bottas
move ahead with a 1m:37.818. The Williams drivers were currently in 11th and
16th. Raikkonen was now third followed by Gasly, Perez, Sainz, Leclerc,
Ocon, Norris, and Kvyat tenth. Gasly would move up to third seeing Raikkonen
fourth. Perez was fifth followed by Stroll, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris and Ocon
now tenth.
With all the drivers having completed their runs on the Pirelli test tyres
Hamilton would be back out on the medium tyre and would set a 1m:36.479 to
be quickest. More drivers were returning with Bottas on the medium and the
Alfa Romero's on the hard and soft. Perez was running on the medium joined
by Magnussen. On the medium Albon was now second followed by Bottas and
Gasly. But Albon's lap would see deleted seeing Bottas now second. Bottas
was now fastest with a 1m:36.276 with an hour remaining. Hamilton was now
second followed by Perez, Sainz, Gasly, and Raikkonen sixth. Ricciardo would
move up to fifth but this would become sixth as Albon moved in to fourth.
Verstappen was now in third using the medium tyre.
On soft tyre runs the Williams drivers would be in 13th and 15th. Both
Mercedes were now out on the soft tyre with forty five minutes remaining.
Hamilton would go quickest but his time would be deleted. On the soft tyre
Albon was now fourth while the Williams drivers were now 14th and 16th.
Gasly was now eighth while Fittipaldi in the Hass was now 15th running on
the soft tyre. Every driver was now using the soft tyre as Ocon moved into
sixth with Ricciardo ninth. Both Williams drivers were out on longer runs
splitting the running on the hard and medium tyre. Both Mercedes would
switch to the 2021 test tyre completing their runs on this tyre.
Williams would have an engine related issue with George's car seeing him pit
with smoke coming out as he went down the pit lane. Raikkonen's car would
also catch fire seeing him forced to stop and then help the marshal with
putting out the fire. This would see the session red flagged with fifteen
minutes remaining. The session would restart with seven minutes remaining
drivers returning including the remaining Williams. There would be a
combination of the medium, hard and soft tyre been used in these final runs.
With the end of the session it would be Bottas quickest from Hamilton,
Verstappen, Albon, Norris, Ocon, Perez, Leclerc, Ricciardo, and Stroll
tenth. All the drivers would again be able to complete practice starts on
the grid. For Williams Racing their drivers were eighteen and twentieth in
what was looking like a difficult session for both drivers.
George Russell:
George would follow his team-mate out on the 2021 Pirelli tyre. A 1m:40.320
from George and he would be 11th but the times were not really relevant. He
would drop to 14th and would pit after a ten lap run. With fifty five
minutes remaining George would return this time on the soft tyre. He was on
an improved lap and would set a 1m:38.817 to be 12th. He would drop to 14th
as more soft tyre times were set. After a six lap run he would pit. With
thirty minutes remaining George would return now in 18th. He was again out
on the soft tyre but would pit switching to the hard tyre. George would
complain to his engineer about a gear shift issue. George would have to pit
with an engine related issue with smoke coming out the rear of his car as he
went down the pit lane. He had completes ix laps prior to been forced to
put. As his car was being pushed back into the garage with George yet to get
out his mechanics were forced to step away from the car as its electricity
warning light was flashing red. George would be able to get out and later
images would show lots of mechanics with rubber gloves working on his car
looking like his car was requiring a battery change.
Nichols Latifi:
Nicholas would be first out using the 2021 Pirelli tyre. Nicholas would set
a 1m:40.899 dropping to 16th. He would drop to 19th and also pits after a
ten lap run. Nicholas would follow his team-mate out for his next run also
on the soft tyre. A time of 1m:39.132 would see Nicholas 15th and would pit
after a five lap run. IN his pit he was now 18th as others went quicker.
With thirty five minutes remaining Nicholas had dropped to 20th as he
returned again on the 2021 test tyre but would quickly switch to the medium
tyre. With the red flag due to Raikkonen Nicholas would pit having completed
eight laps on the medium tyre. After the red flag period finished Nicholas
would return on the soft tyre completing a short run prior to the session
end.
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