Singapore GP Friday practice
By: Geoff Creighton
Summary
Status: Stopped
Here's the full report from that session. Keep an eye on Autosport for the rest of the day for post-practice (and post-all-the-announcements) reaction and our analysis of the Friday practice pace, and we'll see you back here for more Live coverage when practice three kicks off at 11am UK time tomorrow:
Sainz finishes practice by outbraking himself and going down an escape road. He reverses on track and has a near-miss with Vettel.
Order: 1 Ricciardo; 2 Verstappen; 3 Hamilton; 4 Bottas; 5 Hulkenberg; 6 Vandoorne; 7 Alonso; 8 Perez; 9 Raikkonen; 10 Ocon
"Let us know how the tyres are when you can," Mercedes asks Bottas. "They seem OK, a bit of drop-off from the beginning," he replies. Bottas is nine laps into a long run on used super-softs.
Haas asks Grosjean to pit as it has a "telemetry problem". He'd been complaining the front tyre "didn't work at all" and reporting "strange behaviour from the gearbox" too.
"I hit the wall a little bit hard, I don't know if you want to check," says Magnussen. He's advised to pit.
"How is the balance?" Renault asks Palmer. "OK, a little bit on the edge of understeer," he replies.
Sainz isn't keen on the settings Toro Rosso has recommended: "I don't like this, guys, it's really bad".
The rear steps out on Ocon in Turn 20, compromising his run through Turn 21 and onto the straight that follows. The Force India seems a little unpredictable.
Sainz has gradually dialled it back. It might be partly through the tyres but having missed FP1 he was likely playing himself in earlier in the session. Fewer steering inputs and stabbing the throttle less now.
Hamilton is very smooth every time through here - he knows exactly how to get the best out of what he's got and not to over drive.
Slightly close call in the pits, as Perez is released but then immediately asked to stop as Raikkonen is coming towards him.
Just over 20 minutes to go, the Ferraris and Stroll are in the pits but everyone else is on the track and on long runs.
"Quite a lot of understeer, just to let you know," says Sainz. Toro Rosso says he can do "a flap adjust" as "we are not shy".
Not sure who Ocon was following, but he wasn't impressed: "I have to get a gap because he's going off everywhere".
Most of the field is on track, but Verstappen has been in the garage for a while now. Raikkonen and Stroll are in the pits too.
Bottas is having to work the car a little harder in the middle of Turn 20/21 than Hamilton, who is much smoother and carry decent speed off the right/left.
"Checo, we see you're 'torque 1'. We think this might be on the aggressive side," Force India advises Perez.
"You're doing a good job on those temperatures," Mercedes tells Bottas, who's just banged the Turn 3 wall.
Hulkenberg is unsettling the car on the Turn 20 kerb. He's not taking vast amounts more than others, suggesting the Renault is a bit stiffer than most or just not handling the bumps as well as the best cars.
He modifies to a slightly later turn in next time round, which improved matters a little.
He modifies to a slightly later turn in next time round, which improved matters a little.
I've relocated to Turn 20-21 - the right/left leading to the short straight to the final corner.
A big wobble from Ocon at the second exit puts him very close to the wall. Sainz has also been hugely attacking the last two times through and has the rear wobbling at the second apex and exit. Spectacular.
A big wobble from Ocon at the second exit puts him very close to the wall. Sainz has also been hugely attacking the last two times through and has the rear wobbling at the second apex and exit. Spectacular.
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