Max Verstappen clocked the third time in the second free practice for the French Grand Prix on Friday. The World Cup leader was more than half a second short on the fastest lap of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz. Charles Leclerc was second fastest, one tenth behind his teammate.
The second free practice is less about speed over a lap, and more used for so-called long runs. These are racing simulations, in which the drivers look at how long the tires will last.
Yet Verstappen also tried to focus on qualifying. The difference with the Ferraris was considerable. Sainz clocked a 1.32.527, while the Dutchman got no further than a 1.33,077. Especially in the third sector, Verstappen lost a lot of time to his biggest competitors.
George Russell was fourth in his Mercedes, seven tenths of Sainz. Lewis Hamilton, who had handed over his car to Nyck de Vries in the first practice, was good for the fifth time. The Briton was barely a second slower than the Spanish Ferrari driver.
Top ten second free practicea`
- 1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): 1.32.527
- 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +0.101
- 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): +0.550
- 4. George Russell (Mercedes): +0.764
- 5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): +0.990
- 6. Lando Norris (McLaren): +1,080
- 7. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri): +1,379
- 8. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +1,401
- 9. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren): +1,457
- 10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): +1,533
Asphalt temperature again above 50 degrees
Conditions were again tough on Paul Ricard. The French south coast is suffering from considerable heat. The outside temperature was 30 degrees Celsius, while the asphalt was measured at 50.4 degrees.
The training continued without major incidents, although Mick Schumacher lost control of his Haas at high speed. Aided by the braking stripes along the circuit, the German kept the car out of the wall.
France GP timetable
- Second free practice: Friday 5 p.m.
- Qualification: Saturday 4 p.m.
- Race: Sunday 3 p.m.