Team Summary:
With drivers completing their installation laps it would be Ricciardo who
would set the first competitive time with a 1m:30.651 running on the soft
tyres. He would improve with a 1m:30.312 from Leclerc and Ericsson. But
Verstappen would go quicker with a 1m:30.298 also on the soft tyre. Then
Ricciardo would also improve with a 1m:30.030 to again be quickest.
Verstappen was second followed now by Leclerc, Perez, Ericsson, and Ocon.
More drivers started to come out with an hour and ten minutes remaining.
Both Mercedes cars were out on the track while neither Williams car had come
out for timed laps. Bottas would move into third with Raikkonen now fourth
with Bottas on soft tyre and Raikkonen the supersofts.
On the medium tyre Hamilton would go third followed by Bottas. Both Williams
cars would come out with the pair on the supersoft tyre. Bottas was again
third with Vettel fifth. Hamilton would go quickest on the medium tyre with
a 1m:30.015 but Bottas would move ahead with a 1m:29.842 but on the soft
tyre. Slowest were the two McLaren's with both running on the medium tyre.
Vettel would improve to be second but was on the supersoft tyre. Hamilton
had to run wide to avoid Gasly at the final chicane with Gasly having been
running very slowly. This would see Gasly under investigation. The track
would empty as drivers returned to return their set of Pirelli tyres. The
Williams drivers were currently 15th and 18th. The top ten was currently
Bottas followed by Vettel, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Raikkonen,
Grosjean, Gasly, Leclerc, and Ocon tenth.
The first cars would be both McLaren's and Bottas all on the medium tyre.
Hamilton was back out on the soft tyre as Alonso went through the gravel at
Turn nine, Degner curves, but was able to continue and would pit. Hamilton
would go quickest with a 1m:28.691 followed by Bottas with a 1m:29.137.
Vettel was now third but on the supersoft tyre. Leclerc and Ericsson were
eighth and ninth, both on the supersoft tyre. Raikkonen had been in his pit
as his team worked on his car but was now back out. On the supersoft tyre
Ricciardo would go third but was 0.6 off Hamilton's time on the soft tyre.
Raikkonen would improve to now be fourth running on the supersoft tyre. Ocon
was in seventh running on the soft tyre. With twenty minutes remaining there
were only a handful of drivers on the track. Both Mercedes and Red Bull cars
were out on the track with under fifteen minutes remaining.
Both Williams cars were back out doing what were longer runs on used
supersoft tyres. With under ten minutes remaining the track was again busy
as teams worked on longer runs. The session would end with the Williams pair
16th and 18th. The top ten would be Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, Raikkonen,
Vettel, Verstappen, Ocon, Grosjean, Leclerc, and Ericsson tenth. Not an
unsurprising result for Williams with their cars down the times in 16th and
18th.
Lance Stroll:
Lance would follow Sergey out but was on the soft tyre completing two
installation laps. He would complete further laps but would not set a time.
Lance would join his team-mate out for his first timed laps also on the
supersoft tyre. Lance would set a 1mn:32.094 to be 14th. He would drop to
15th and would pit after a eight lap run. Lance would return on a new set of
supersoft tyres. Lance would set a 1m:31.508 to be ninth dropping to tenth.
He would drop to 15th as others went quicker. Lance would pit after a six
lap run. In his pit Lance would drop to 16th. Lance woudl also come back out
on used supersoft tyres. Lance would pit ending his session still in 16th
having completed a total of fifteen laps on the supersoft tyre. Lance would
finish a second ahead of his team-mate.
Sergey
Sirotkin:
Sergey would be first out for Williams running on the medium tyre. Sergey
would complete a single installation lap. Sergey would quickly return
completing another lap on the medium tyre. With an hour and five minutes
remaining Sergey would come out for his timed laps running on the supersoft
tyre. He would set a 1m:33.696 to be 20th on his first run at the Suzuka
circuit. He would improve with a 1m:32.750 to now be 18th. Sergey would pit
after a seven lap run. Sergey would drop to 19th as Norris went ahead of
him. Sergey would also return on a new set of supersoft tyres with thirty
five minutes remaining. Sergey had improved with a 1m:32.513 to be 18th but
Alonso would move ahead of the Williams. Sergey would return on a ser of
used supersoft tyres. Sergey would complete the session having done a total
of twenty four laps on the supersoft tyre. |