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
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.
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