Team Summary:
After a difficult Friday practice the Williams Martini team was going into
the final practice session looking for pace. Drivers running on a mix of
soft and ultra soft tyres would complete their installation laps. The first
time would come from Bottas with a 1m:45.222 with Lance second. Raikkonen
was quickest with a 1m:44.271 but Vettel would go quicker with a 1m:43.237.
After their first runs the Williams drivers were fourth and fifth but only
five cars had set a time. Hamilton would go second with a 1m:44.230 to be
0.9 behind Vettel. Sainz was fourth as Vettel pitted after clipping the wall
with his right rear. Raikkonen would move up to second with a 1m:44.176 as
more drivers started to come out for their first runs.
Ocon was now fifth followed by Kvyat and Bottas now seventh. Perez would
move up to second and Ocon now third followed by Raikkonen and Hamilton.
Ricciardo would set a 1m:43.457 to move up to second with Perez now third.
Verstappen would show his pace with a 1m:42.249 to move ahead of Vettel.
Hulkenberg would move up to fourth with half the session remaining. The
order was now Verstappen, Ricciardo, Vettel, Hulkenberg, Perez, Sainz, Ocon,
Raikkonen, Hamilton, and Kvyat tenth. The session would be stoped when
Ericsson was to crash leaving a large amount of debris out on the track.
Ericsson was able to get back to the pits. At this time both Williams cars
were well down in the order in sixteenth and seventeenth.
The session would restart with under twenty minutes remaining. Several
drivers were out on quick laps including both Ferrari's and Mercedes cars.
Vettel would set a 1m:41.919 to go quickest while Hamilton could only manage
fifth with a 1m:42.952. Vandoorne was in sixth but this would become seventh
as Alonso went fourth with a 1m:42.612. Raikkonen would move into sixth
behind Bottas. Hamilton would improve with a 1m:42.425 to be third as both
Williams cars came out. Hulkenberg was now fifth while at the front a short
while later Verstappen would go quickest with a 1m:41.829. For Williams
their second runs had seen their drivers in eleventh and seventeenth. But
after other drivers had completed their runs they were thirteenth and
eighteenth.
The top ten was Verstappen, Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Vandoorne, Ricciardo,
Hulkenberg, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Perez tenth. Ricciardo had brushed the
wall ruining his quickest run. he would return to the pits slowly. But
Hamilton would put in a quick lap right near the end seeing him now third.
With the end of the session Verstappen was fastest from Vettel, Hamilton,
Alonso, Vandoorne, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Perez
tenth. The Williams drivers were fifteenth and seventeenth and based on this
result qualifying was looking to be a very tough session with it looking
like a real struggle for both drivers to get past the first period.
Felipe Massa:
Felipe would follow his team-mate out also on a set of new ultra soft tyres.
Felipe would set a 1m:46.040 to be third. Felipe would drop to seventh the
eighth. Felipe was one place ahead of his team by a full second. Felipe
would set a 1m:45.203 but would remain ninth. He would drop to tenth as he
continued his run on the ultra soft tyre. Felipe had dropped to thirteenth
then sixteenth to be just ahead of his team-mate. Felipe had completed
twelve laps on his run. Felipe would follow Lance out for his second run.
Felipe would also set a better time and would improve to eleventh with a
1m:43.724. He would drop to fifteenth as the session came to a close and
Felipe would pit.
Lance Stroll:
Lance would be first out for Williams with close to ten minutes of the
session completed. He was on a new set of ultra soft tyres for his first
run. Lance would continue his run setting a 1m:47.481 to be second. He would
drop to fourth behind his team-mate. Lance continued to lap the circuit and
was now sixth behind Kvyat. Despite setting a 1m:46.877 Lance was the
slowest of the drivers who had set a time currently eighth. Lance would
continue to find a few tenths setting a 1m:46.203 to currently be ninth.
Lance would drop to twelfth even with a 1m:46.081. After a nine lap run
Lance would pit currently fourteenth. He would quickly return still on the
used ultra soft tyre. Lance would pit again currently seventeenth having
completed eleven laps in his run. With ten minutes remaining Lance would be
first back out for Williams for his second run. Lance was on a quicker lap
and would finish with a 1m:44.597 but would remain only in seventeenth. But
Lance was able to set a 1m:44.223 right near the end of the session to be
seventeenth. Replays would show Lance brushing the barrier with the front
and rear left wheels. |