FP2: Ricciardo hits the front in Azerbaijan

Editor

Friday evening’s second practice in Baku belonged to Daniel Ricciardo, who led almost from start to finish to edge Kimi Raikkonen by 0.069s.

With the temperature falling 11 degrees between sessions, the drivers found the going very slippery in second practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Within the first 15 minutes, Sergio Perez, Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll (twice), Brendon Hartley and Kimi Raikkonen all ventured down escape roads as they tried to save their tyres after locking up.

Ricciardo led the early running with a 1:43.947, two-tenths up on Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

But while the Aussie was having a fun time out on track, his team-mate Max Verstappen, whose RB14 suffered left hand front suspension, rear wing and sidepod damage in his FP1 shunt, missed the first 20 minutes of running.

And when he finally got out, he locked up after just three corners and added his name to the growing list of drivers taking to the escape roads.

Swapping to the ultrasoft tyres, Ricciardo upped his pace to a 1:43.017 and then a 1:42.816 and a 1:42.795.

Raikkonen grabbed a tow from Lewis Hamilton to go second fastest, 0.069s down on the Red Bull driver, with Max Verstappen third.

The Dutchman had a late engine issue and was told to keep his engine revs down as he limped back to the pits.

Sebastian Vettel’s first attempt at a qualifying simulation ended with a lock up and a spin at Turn 15 while Lewis Hamilton’s also saw a lock up from the Brit, his coming at Turn 7.

They were fifth and 11th with Hamilton the one ahead.

Valtteri Bottas finished the evening in fourth place with Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg completing the top ten.

Marcus Ericsson was slowest of all as he covered just nine laps before a gearbox issue put him out of the running.

Times
1 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:42.795
2 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 0.069s
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 0.116s
4 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 0.775s
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 0.808s
6 Fernando Alonso McLaren 0.905s
7 Esteban Ocon Force India 1.019s
8 Carlos Sainz Renault 1.039s
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1.182s
10 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1.296s
11 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1.332s
12 Sergio Perez Force India 1.347s
13 Romain Grosjean Haas 1.63s
14 Lance Stroll Williams 1.664s
15 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1.917s
16 Charles Leclerc Sauber 2.145s
17 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 2.212s
18 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 2.256s
19 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 2.493s
20 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 3.247s