Australia – FP2: Hamilton confirms while Rosberg makes a mistake

Rain and wind still prevail during the second free practice session of this first Grand Prix of the 2016 season in Australia.

The FP1 ended with Lewis Hamilton setting the fastest time in his Mercedes, but the drivers completed few laps. They are quite hesitant to start at the beginning of the second session, which makes the atmosphere rather calm in the garage and busy in the paddocks. There, we see three test drivers, French-speaking, talking and laughing together: Pierre Gasly (Red Bull), Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren), and Esteban Ocon (Renault).

After 20 minutes of the session, it’s Daniel Ricciardo who launches his Red Bull on the wet track with green-banded intermediate tires. He sets the first reference time at 1:49.017 before his teammate, Daniil Kvyat, replaces him and really starts the session as other drivers, such as Nico Rosberg, take to the track.

After half an hour, the on-track activity intensifies and a majority of teams have sent their drivers onto the circuit just as Nico Rosberg goes off the track and hits the outside of the corner in the 2nd sector, at the exit of turn 7. The German damages his wing and parks on the side, unable to return to his pit. The virtual safety car is used for the first time during a Formula 1 practice session.

WATCH: Rosberg loses the rear end then his front wing in #FP2 >> https://t.co/5UIIk6VamC #AusGP pic.twitter.com/EU3MMfZ7gG

— Formula 1 (@F1) 18 mars 2016

The competition resumes quickly and many other drivers take to the track on intermediate tires. Only Romain Grosjean (Haas) and Daniil Kvyat remain stuck in their respective garages due to technical issues. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso puts his McLaren-Honda at the top of the time sheets on a track that is drying lap after lap.

The times are improving minute by minute, and Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) and Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) are exchanging the fastest lap. Meanwhile, neither Lewis Hamilton, nor the two Williams and the two Sauber have completed a single lap during this second session.

In the last 30 minutes, Hamilton finally takes to the track and immediately sets the fastest time at 1:38.841, ahead of the surprising Force India of Nico Hülkenberg. The rain then returns, and a few drivers like Sergio Pérez (Force India) or Esteban Gutierrez (Haas) make mistakes in the first corner. Times will not improve further, and the session ends once again with the fastest time by Lewis Hamilton.