France – Free Practice 2: Mercedes in Front, Tire Compound at the Heart of Discussions
The Mercedes once again dominated the FP2 session, far ahead of the Ferraris and surprising McLarens. The management of Pirelli tires proves to be tricky. Many drivers made mistakes during the session due to the complicated grip. Graining is recurrent, and the grip is difficult both with new and worn tires, especially with the red compounds. This aspect will be one of the keys for the rest of the weekend.
The conditions remain just as hot at the Circuit Paul Ricard for this second free practice session of the weekend. The track temperature reaches 55 degrees but there is little wind.
Hostilities resume under a scorching sun, and it’s Daniil Kvyat who sensibly opens the proceedings with his Toro Rosso, followed by Romain Grosjean. The latter will have to make up for lost track time after a shortened FP1 due to a technical issue.
In his lap launched on Hard tires, the Franco-Swiss is quickly caught off guard by a major wheel lock-up on the front right. Large vibrations observed afterward, forcing the Haas driver to return to the pits to change tires. Another aborted outing for Romain Grosjean, who expresses his incomprehension regarding the reaction of his tires. The tire difficulties continue within the American team.
Problems for Romain Grosjean early on in FP2 👀
After a lively radio exchange he’s returned to the pits #F1 #FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/ZOkwQWGa76
— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 juin 2019
The tire problems are also observed at Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel, equipped with medium tires and hindered by a Williams driver, is experiencing difficulties due to recurring graining, even with new tires.
After twenty minutes of running, the Ferraris are leading the times while the Mercedes are dormant. As soon as he wakes up, Valtteri Bottas sets the best time with 1.32.478.
Several drivers are struggling with the hard and medium tires, only the soft tires seem suitable for attacks under the intense Provencal heat.
Once the Ferraris returned to the pits, the Red Bulls began to tail the Finnish driver’s Mercedes. More than six-tenths behind, Pierre Gasly follows his teammate by less than two-tenths.
Lewis Hamilton finishes his flying lap and takes the provisional best time with 1:31.361 before Bottas reclaims his due with 1:31.110.
Following the first half-hour of FP2, the cars return to the pits before starting a second series of runs.
FASTEST TIMES: 30 MINS INTO FP2
1 Bottas 1:31.110 📸
2 Hamilton 1:31.361
3 Verstappen 1:32.067
4 Norris 1:32.468
5 Gasly 1:32.497#F1 #FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/Q4YJ88uu9B— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 juin 2019
At this stage of the session, let’s note the excellent performance of Lando Norris who maintains the 4th fastest time with his McLaren, over 1.3 seconds behind. At the back of the field, the Racing Point drivers seem to be struggling, with their drivers having the 16th and 17th fastest times.
Romain Grosjean returns to the track on red tires. His car understeers a lot, making it unstable in the chicanes. He logically remains at the back of the standings.
The single-seaters return to the track and Bottas improves his own time with control. Mercedes’ domination seems to continue as the visual aspect shows a healthy behavior, with impressive rigidity.
The Ferraris, now running on red tires, are improving but are far from the times of the Mercedes, especially with Vettel who remains eight-tenths behind Bottas.
A rather rare occurrence, Lewis Hamilton makes a mistake and loses control of his car when, after entering a chicane too quickly, he goes into oversteer. His Mercedes hits the apex cone. Max Verstappen narrowly avoids the Englishman, but no damage is noted. The world champion still returns to the pits for a check-up.
The race stewards nevertheless placed the Briton under investigation because he returned to the track in a somewhat abrupt manner against the Red Bull… a sense of déjà vu…
New bollard = ordered 👀💥#F1 #FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/RBgi58TABj
— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 juin 2019
Meanwhile, the Haas team continues to struggle with the tires and can’t perform. They remain at the back of the grid, more than 2.5 seconds off the best time with the 15th and 16th fastest times.
Stroll, Sainz and the Williams stay behind in the timing game.
In the battle for the midfield, the competition is fierce between the Saubers, which seem comfortable on the French track, Norris’s McLaren, and Daniel Ricciardo’s Renault. Their two teammates remain subdued at the bottom of the timesheet.
Kevin Magnussen manages to extract performance from his tires and joins the battle, securing the 9th fastest time, more than 1.8 seconds behind. His teammate remains in difficulty.
Spin for Hülkenberg, who also sees his tires giving way. Without incident, his maneuver confirms that tire management will be one of the keys to Sunday’s race, as the Pirelli tires are not comfortable on the hot Paul Ricard track.
Time for a new set of tyres, Nico? 👀🔍
The German slides and spins inside the last half hour of FP2#F1 #FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/d7tbrV9cJd
— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 juin 2019
The drivers are completing laps on red tires but are not improving their times.
The medium tires seem more comfortable on track, but graining remains omnipresent. With a limited stock of medium tires, the teams will have to make choices for tomorrow’s day.
More than ever, the rest of the weekend will be marked by tire management, with the yellow tires to be favored in the race and possibly in qualifying. However, the stock remains limited, particularly for Ricciardo, Grosjean, and Kvyat, who have chosen only one set of medium tires…
At the end of the session, Bottas and Hamilton remain ahead of the Ferraris. The McLarens managed to insert themselves among the top. Norris is ahead of Verstappen, who is ahead of Sainz and Gasly.
Bottas beats Hamilton to top spot in second practice by almost half-a-second
And those McLarens were looking 👌#F1 #FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/tvI1owbSj4
— Formula 1 (@F1) 21 juin 2019
