Russian GP: No real change in FP2 for ROKiT Williams
By Andrew Hooper
September 27 2019
The results of the second Friday practice session for the 2019 Russian GP would see very little change take place for the ROKiT Williams team over the earlier session. George Russell and Robert Kubica were again slowest but this session would see Robert an increased margin behind his team-mate after their soft tyre runs. Both drivers would complete longer runs late in the session with George focusing on the medium tyre and Robert the soft and the hard.
ROKiT Williams
Russian GP Friday 2nd Practice
Team Summary:
The second Friday practice session would see a rush of drivers coming out to
set times. After the first runs it would be Leclerc fastest with a 1m:34.148
running on the medium tyre. Behind him was Magnussen and Norris with the top
six all on the medium tyre. Fourth was Stroll from Gasly, Grosjean, Kvyat,
and Raikkonen. Perez would move up to second and Grosjean in fourth also on
the medium tyre. Vettel would move up to second also on the medium tyre.
Bottas was up to third on the hard tyre while both Williams driver had
completed their runs on the soft tyre and were currently 15th and 16th. They
were the only drivers to use the soft tyre and while they were in the pits
they would drop to the bottom of the times.
Hamilton was now in fourth followed by Perez, Magnussen, Grosjean,
Verstappen, Hulkenberg and Albon. All of the top ten except Bottas were on
the medium tyre. Verstappen would improve to be fourth as we started to see
more drivers coming out on the soft tyre. Leclerc was out on the soft tyre
and would set a 1m:33.497 with Vettel second. Hamilton was now third but had
completed a longer run on the medium tyre. Verstappen would move up to be
quickest with a 1m:33.162. Leclerc was now second followed by Bottas,
Hamilton, Vettel, Gasly, Perez, Hulkenberg, Stroll and Norris tenth. With
twenty minutes remaining the track was very busy as drivers completed longer
runs with the medium and soft tyres been used.
Hamilton would come out for his first soft tyre run. He would return to the
pits to do a practice start. Both Williams drivers were out on their race
runs as the session drew to a close. Verstappen was still fastest from
Leclerc, Bottas, Hamilton, Vettel. Gasly, Perez, Hulkenberg, Stroll and
Albon tenth. For Williams they would finish the session in 19th and 20th
with George 1.053s ahead of his team-mate Robert. It was very much a case of
the results showing that the Williams drivers were still struggling with a
difficult car.
Robert Kubica:
Robert had followed his team-mate out in the session also on the soft tyre
setting a 1m:38.703. Robert would improve with a 1m:38.551 to remain behind
his team-mate. He would pit after a seven lap run. With the tarck quite
empty Robert would return also using the soft tyre and would improve with a
1m:38.037 but remained behind his team-mate. Like his team-mate Robert would
improve with a 1m:37.838 but was still 20th. Robert would pit after a seven
lap run. Robert would again come back out joining his team-mate for a second
run. This would be a longer run late in the session. He would complete
fourteen laps on the soft tyre prior to pitting and taking on the hard tyre.
Robert would pit after the end of the session having completed eight laps on
the hard tyre.
George Russell:
George would be first out for Williams in the second Friday practice session
running on the soft tyre. He would set a 1m:37.635 on his first timed lap.
George would pit after a four lap run returning on a set of soft tyres but
pitting after a single lap. He was currently 13th but would drop to 19th.
With just over an hour remaining George would return again on the soft tyre.
He would improve with a 1m:37.441 but remained 19th. His next lap was a
1m:37.273 but again remained 19th. His next improvement would be a 1m:36.785
to see him move up one place. But as Sainz went quicker he would drop to
19th again. George would pit after a eight lap run. With just under forty
minutes remaining George would return for a medium tyre run in what must be
his race simulation. George would come on his radio saying: "These kerb
strikes are woeful." as he commented on the sausage kerbs around the
circuit. With ten minutes remaining George had completed eleven laps on the
medium tyre. George would complete nineteen laps with the end of the
session.
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