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By: Geoff Creighton

Summary

Bottas sets the early pace in FP2
Ricciardo stops on track late on
Hydraulic leak delays Grosjean's session
Car issues for Russell
Status: Stopped
Driver, Team
Bottas,Mercedes
Hamilton,Mercedes
Leclerc,Ferrari
Vettel,Ferrari
Gasly,Red Bull
Norris,McLaren
Verstappen,Red Bull
Sainz,McLaren
Albon,Toro Rosso
Perez,Racing Point
 
 
And that's the end of the session. Friday's practice running is over, done with, and counted for. Bottas tops the session, leading from Hamilton and Leclerc.
Last orders! One minute left to go.
RE: Russell gearbox issue. Williams won't have anymore info until later tonight. It is being taken off the car now for a full inspection. Ricciardo's stopped on track with a suspected engine issue. He was using the spec A engine from the start of the year. He’ll revert as planned to his Spec B for the rest of the weekend.

Also, spark plug change for Bottas "as a precaution", which explains the time spent in the garage.
Just under five minutes to go until today's running comes to a close.
Leclerc comes into the pits after having some misgivings about his medium-compound tyres. He's back out after a quick practice pitstop.
Just ten more minutes of FP2 to dissect. Bottas is still top of the pile, and he looks set to remain there.
The VSC comes to an end, and we're back to full-speed, all-action practice running.
Or rather, turn 14 - that's Chapel, for those who like names. His stricken Renault's being wheeled away.
Ricciardo's in trouble! "It's switched off" reports the Australian, who comes to a stop at turn 11. VSC.
Without any hint of melodrama, it's been at least 84 years since we saw a green sector time in this session. Verstappen's complained that the soft tyres seem to be going off quite quickly.
We're into that stage of the session where it's race simulations, so nobody's really going any quicker.
 
 
Sainz, Albon and Perez complete the current top 10.
Spurious facts aside, we're into the final half-hour. Bottas, Hamilton, Leclerc, Vettel and Gasly occupy the top five, with Norris and Verstappen also within a second of the top time.
What's the Start/Finish straight named after? It's named after the famous Silverstone comedy duo John Start and Neil Finish, the latter of whom invented the dishwasher tablet.
The Hangar straight is named after the, erm, aircraft hanger. Silverstone used to be an airfield, after all.
We've done corners, let's look at the etymology of Silverstone's straights. The Wellington straight is named after the Wellington bombers that used to be stationed here in the war.
Hamilton and Kubica also join the fun, as the session ticks down towards the last half-an-hour.
Just two cars are on the circuit, so say hi to SAI and RAI. Grosjean ruins that nice bit of rhyme, also pulling out of the pits.
There's another slight lull in the running, as the feed cuts to a windsock going mad in the breeze. We're going to name it Pierre Gust-ly.
Raikkonen leapfrogs the two Renaults to go P12, ruining what we were about to say about the timing boards being not-too-jumbled up. Perez also splits the Toro Rossos to go P10.
 
Norris pushes his way into the top six, splitting the two Red Bulls.
Hamilton was on a good lap, before taking the scenic route at Maggotts into Becketts. He aborts that one, as Bottas goes marginally quicker than his own best time.
And here's the lesser-spotted Grosjean, coming out to play. He's made it out of the pitlane without damage, a reassuring sign.
Leclerc goes up into third, just a tenth-and-a-bit off of the fastest time.
Hamilton lobs his Mercedes into P2, just two-hundredths behind Bottas.
The sidepods of the Williams look very certain this weekend, emblazoned with the "Sure" brand name. We wish we were this assertive.
Bottas seemed to be on a faster run, emerging on soft tyres, but kicks up a bunch of dust in sector two. Third sector's purple, though.
Session-topper Bottas rejoins the fray, as Norris has an off at the Maggotts-Becketts section.
Date:

Date:

Norris and Kubica go out just as Vettel comes in to give the Silverstone crowd something to watch.
 
 
Vettel immediately ruins that order to go P5, somewhat inconsiderately. We will be having words.

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