French GP, Practice Two: Valtteri Bottas ahead, Lewis Hamilton investigated
Bottas leads resounding Mercedes one-two, although Hamilton does not complete soft-tyre lap after near miss with Verstappen; Norris an eye-catching fifth fastest for McLaren
Saturday 22 June 2019 14:56, UK
Valtteri Bottas left Lewis Hamilton and his other F1 rivals trailing to set the pace in an impressive performance during Practice Two at the French GP.
Hamilton was investigated for a near miss with Max Verstappen but stewards cleared the world champion of any wrongdoing.
Hamilton ran into the run-off at Turn Four after losing control of his Mercedes, taking out a bollard in the process, and returned to the track just as Verstappen was approaching Turn Five.
On a timed lap, the Red Bull went round the outside of the recovering Mercedes, but then Verstappen himself ran off the circuit after losing grip.
- Ferrari fail to overturn Vettel penalty
- Rosberg, Hill debate F1 controversy
- P1: Hamilton makes perfect start
Stewards said they would investigate the incident after the session but, after speaking to both drivers, revealed that "both drivers agreed that the limited rear visibility and the angle of Car 44 made it difficult for Hamilton to see the approaching car and agreed that Hamilton re-joined slowly".
Mercedes re-establish superiority
Despite Hamilton's mistake wrecking his qualifying simulation, Mercedes still comfortably finished Friday's running in first and second places.
Bottas, who had traded fastest times with Hamilton up to that point all day, ended up fastest with a 1:30.937 on the soft tyres, with Hamilton left 0.4s back on the slower medium compound.
Ferrari were third and fourth with Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel respectively - but neither driver was within 0.6s of Bottas' benchmark lap. The Scuderia spent the day assessing new development parts, which included new front wing and diffuser.
Team boss Mattia Binotto admitted the upgrades are "not perfect", and added on Ferrari's performance: "We are suffering in the last sector. It's very similar to Barcelona.
"I would say it's not unexpected because that's the car we have at the moment. Mercedes seems certainly stronger but the weekend is not over and there is still a lot of performance to be found.
"Let's see how the track evolves and how we optimise our package."
Verstappen's near-miss with Hamilton meant he did not complete a representative soft-tyre lap either and so the Dutchman finished only sixth fastest, with team-mate Pierre Gasly eighth.
McLaren and Norris catch the eye
Hot conditions - track temperatures nudged 55 degrees during the afternoon - and gusty winds, combined with a low-grip surface, made Friday's running difficult for drivers throughout the field, with cars regularly spinning or running wide.
British rookie Lando Norris appeared to cope better than most and finished an eye-catching fifth for McLaren, ahead of both Red Bulls and within one second of the leading pace.
Despite not being happy with his MCL34 yet, Carlos Sainz was seventh in the sister car, ahead of Gasly plus usual midfield rivals Alfa Romeo and Haas.
Renault, McLaren's engine suppliers, dropped out of the top 10 during the afternoon but the main focus of their day was asssessing the impact of a significant car upgrade. Daniel Ricciardo, who was their lead runner, also ran the latest specification of the French manufacturer's engine at their home event.
Sky Sports F1 is the home of live and exclusive F1. Find out more here to watch the 2019 season live
