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Japanese GP: FP2 sees Williams Martini where we expected


By Andrew Hooper
October 5 2018

The second Friday practice session for the 2018 Japanese GP would see the Williams Martini team finish about where one would expect them to be based on their current form. Team drivers Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll would finish in 18th and 19th positions after what was a uneventful session for both drivers. Both drivers would complete supersoft tyre runs prior to completing longer runs with the pair splitting the tyre evaluations. Lance was also involved in aero assessments. 

 
 Williams Martini Japanese GP Friday 2nd Practice
 
Sirotkin
 

Team Summary:
The second Friday practice session fro the 2018 Japanese GP would get underway with the McLaren's come out first running on the medium tyre. Both Ferrari's were also out on the soft tyre. Grosjean would set the early quickest time with a 1m:31.896 but Vettel would go ahead with a 1m:29.971 now followed by Raikkonen and Grosjean. Vettel would improve with a1m:29.398 while the Williams drivers were currently 8th and 10th with ten minutes of the session completed. Perez and Ocon were now third and fourth with Perez on the soft and Ocon the medium. The Williams drivers had dropped to 12th and 14th. Ricciardo and Verstappen would go third and fourth but Bottas would move into second with the Mercedes and Red Bull cars on the soft tyre. Hamilton would go quickest with a 1m:29.005 and with these changes the Williams drivers were now 15th and 18th.

At the front both Ferrari's had pitted while Hamilton would improve setting a 1m:28.911 to now be 0.4 ahead of Vettel. Drivers would start to come out for runs on the supersoft tyre. Vettel was on a supersoft tyre run and would set a 1m:29.050 but could only manage second. Ricciardo was now third with Bottas and Raikkonen fourth and fifth. Ocon on the supersoft was now sixth while the Williams drivers, after their supersoft tyre runs were 14th and 15th. But they would drop to 1`5th and 16th. But the three drivers behind them had yet to set a supersoft time. Verstappen was able to move into third and Ricciardo now fourth. Hamilton was on a quick lap going fastest in sector one and would complete the lap with a 1m:28.217 to be 0.8 ahead of Vettel. The Williams drivers were now 17th and 18th. Bottas was now in second with a 1m:28.678 followed by Vettel, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Ocon, Grosjean, Ericsson and Hartley tenth.

With twenty minutes remaining in the session both Williams drivers were on longer runs on the supersoft tyres still running in 17th and 18th. Those at the top of the times were also on longer runs using the supersoft tyre. Ferrari had split their running with Vettel on the supersoft and Raikkonen the soft. With ten minutes remaining in the session Gasly was finally able to get out for his supersoft tyre run after a technical issue with his car. He would set a 1m:30.795 to be 13th. This would see the Williams drivers now 18th and 19th with no change from their earlier session results.

Lance Stroll:
Lance was out for his first run using the soft tyre. On the soft tyre Lance would set a 1m:32.289 to currently be sixth. He would drop to eighth. Lance would drop to 12th but with a 1m:32.247 he would improve to be 11th. But Lance would drop to be 15th and would pit after a eleven lap run on the soft tyre. Lance would return with just under an hour remaining for a run on the supersoft tyre. Lance would set a 1m:31.215 to be 11th but he would quickly drop to 14th. As a result of his team-mates time Lance would drop to 15th. Lance would pit having completed six laps on the supersoft tyre currently 16th. He would drop to 18th while in his pit. Lance woudl also return for longer runs staying on the supersoft tyre but switching to the soft. With five minutes remaining Lance had completed twenty five laps in total on the soft tyre and would pit. He would return for a final run on used supersoft tyres. With the end of the session he would pit having completed a total of eleven laps on the supersoft tyre.

Sergey Sirotkin:
Sergey would take to the track running on the medium tyre. Sergey would set a 1m:32.589 to be fifth. This was only just off his supersoft tyre time from the first session. Sergey would drop to tenth and then down to 14th. This would become 18th as Sergey continued to lap on the medium tyre. Sergey would also pit after an eleven lap run but on the medium tyre. With an hour and eight minutes remaining Sergey would return still on the medium tyre. Apart from the Mercedes Sergey was the only car on the track. Sergey would run wide at the Spoon curve but he was able to continue. He would pit shortly after now having completed fourteen laps on the medium tyre. Sergey was now back out running on the supersoft tyre, currently 19th. Sergey would set a 1m:31.087 to be 13th. he would drop to 14th. He would pit after a five lap run currently 17th. Sergey would pit and switch to used medium tyres. Sergey had completed twenty one laps in total on the medium tyre with just under five minutes remaining. Sergey would ask the team to check the floor as he had gone over a kerb. Sergey would complete the session running on the medium tyre having completed twenty five laps on this tyre.

 
Stroll
 
Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m28.217s - 31
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1m28.678s 0.461s 30
3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m29.050s 0.833s 36
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Renault 1m29.257s 1.040s 32
5 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m29.498s 1.281s 33
6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m29.513s 1.296s 27
7 Esteban Ocon Force India-Mercedes 1m30.035s 1.818s 32
8 Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari 1m30.440s 2.223s 32
9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1m30.478s 2.261s 33
10 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso-Honda 1m30.502s 2.285s 27
11 Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m30.510s 2.293s 28
12 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1m30.644s 2.427s 36
13 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso-Honda 1m30.795s 2.578s 10
14 Carlos Sainz Renault 1m30.904s 2.687s 31
15 Charles Leclerc Sauber-Ferrari 1m30.906s 2.689s 26
16 Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari 1m30.956s 2.739s 25
17 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Renault 1m30.988s 2.771s 34
18 Sergey Sirotkin Williams-Mercedes 1m31.087s 2.870s 39
19 Lance Stroll Williams-Mercedes 1m31.215s 2.998s 32
20 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren-Renault 1m31.981s 3.764s 32
 
Sirotkin
 

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Japanese GP: FP2 sees Williams Martini where we expected
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05/10/2018 12:36
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