Hamilton strikes back in second Spanish GP practice

The Mercedes Formula 1 team’s 1-2 formation remained in second Spanish Grand Prix practice, with Lewis Hamilton ahead this time.

After Valtteri Bottas topped the morning session, this time Hamilton was quickest both in the early runs on harder compounds and then by 0.287s when they went for qualifying simulations on softs.

Bottas enlivened a muted second half of the session slightly by running wide through the gravel at the right-hander leading towards the final chicane late on, without major consequences.

Mercedes’ advantage over the rest was trimmed very slightly, with Max Verstappen 0.821s off Hamilton in third for Red Bull.

There were some notable surprises near the front of the ‘class B’ pack, as Daniel Ricciardo put Renault fourth and Romain Grosjean built on Haas’s promising morning with a startling fifth place for the struggling team.

But Grosjean’s day ended worryingly as he slowed abruptly with a loss of power in the closing minutes.

Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari, but 1.264s off the pace. Team-mate Sebastian Vettel was once again outside the top 10, though he was only two and a half tenths off Leclerc despite being back in 12th.

That was one place ahead of Alex Albon, who had another difficult session in the second Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz Jr put McLaren seventh ahead of the two Racing Points and Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri. Sainz was warned over the radio about his casual use of the old faster circuit layout at the final corners on in-laps after taking to the original track.

Practice 2 Results