Singapore GP FP2: Verstappen Leads Second Practice, Leclerc Second, Red Bull Dominate
The second practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen lead the way, setting the fastest time and continuing his dominance ahead of the race weekend. Charles Leclerc finished second, offering a glimmer of hope for Ferrari, while Sergio Perez completed a Red Bull double in third.
Red Bull Dominate the Timesheet
Verstappen's pace throughout the session was consistently impressive. He was quickest in both the first and second sectors, ultimately ending the session with a time of 1:42.544, comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. Perez, though not as quick as his teammate, also displayed strong performance, keeping the second Red Bull car within striking distance of the top.
Leclerc Offers a glimmer of Hope for Ferrari
While Ferrari struggled to match the pace of Red Bull, Charles Leclerc provided some cause for optimism for the Scuderia. His second-place finish, just 0.398 seconds behind Verstappen, shows that they are still capable of competing at the front. However, Carlos Sainz Jr. had a less productive session, ending up in 12th place, raising questions about Ferrari's overall competitiveness.
Mercedes Struggle, Bottas's Incident Adds to the Drama
The second practice session also saw Mercedes struggle to find pace. Lewis Hamilton ended the session in fifth, 0.725 seconds behind Verstappen, while George Russell finished eighth. The team faces an uphill battle to challenge Red Bull, particularly on a track that favors high downforce cars.
The session was further enlivened by an incident involving Valtteri Bottas who spun at Turn 10, forcing a red flag. Luckily, he escaped unscathed, but the incident highlighted the tricky nature of the Singapore circuit, demanding precision and focus from the drivers.
Key Takeaways from FP2
- Red Bull remains the dominant force in Singapore. Verstappen and Perez's performance suggests they are the favorites heading into the race.
- Ferrari showed some promise with Leclerc's performance, but they still have work to do to match Red Bull. Sainz's struggles raise questions about their consistency.
- Mercedes continues to struggle, lagging behind Red Bull and Ferrari. They need to find significant improvements to challenge for victory.
- The Singapore circuit is proving to be challenging, as evidenced by Bottas's incident. Expect more close battles and potential surprises in the remaining practice sessions and qualifying.
The focus now shifts to FP3 and qualifying, where drivers will have another chance to refine their setups and fight for pole position. The Singapore Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling and unpredictable race, and with Red Bull on top form, it's going to be an exciting battle for victory.
