Carlos Sainz set the best time on the boards on the warm Paul Ricard: 1.32.527. He was a tenth faster than his teammate Charles Leclerc. Verstappen conceded more than half a second on Sainz.
The World Cup leader continued to focus on a faster lap for a while longer, but a moment during his final push prevented a time improvement. In the so-called long runs – looking at the race on Sunday – Verstappen’s speed on the medium tire looked promising. Sainz will fall back ten places on the grid on Sunday before the start of the race after changing an engine part.
“The long run did indeed look a bit better, but the tires get very hot and it is still difficult to estimate where we really stand,” said Verstappen. “We know there is still some work to be done. The second training was a bit more difficult for us. We didn’t really get the balance we were hoping for, but we also tried some things on the car. We will look at everything towards Saturday. Hopefully we’ll be a little closer then.”
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton set the fourth and fifth fastest time. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez did not get further than the tenth time.