Sports

Team Mercedes Registers the Victory For The Day: Japanese Grand Prix Practice 2

‘Emotional’ Tsunoda says long-awaited home debut is a ‘dream come true’

Russell and Hamilton play down hopes for rest of Suzuka weekend despite topping FP2.

George Russell led a Mercedes one-two at a rain-hampered second practice session at Suzuka, with the Briton topping the timesheets ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Max Verstappen.

The teams were once again greeted with wet conditions at Suzuka as rain continued to fall, resulting in the drivers staying in the pit lane at the beginning of the session. But after they emerged, the first half hour of the 90-minute practice saw Hamilton lead the way with a time of 1m 49.489s.

With an hour left, Hamilton and Russell became the first drivers to make the switch from the wet tyres to the intermediates, resulting in the Mercedes pair trading fastest laps as track conditions improved.

In the end, it was Russell who won the contest between the pair, setting a time of 1m 41.935s that bettered Hamilton’s attempt by 0.235s.

Championship leader Max Verstappen was third quickest – 0.851s behind Russell – with team mate Sergio Perez rounding out the top four.

Kevin Magnussen – whose team mate Mick Schumacher took no part in the session after crashing into the barrier at the end of FP1 – continued his good Friday form, with the fifth quickest time overall.

Carlos Sainz was sixth fastest ahead of his compatriot Fernando Alonso – who was quickest in FP1 – in seventh, with his Alpine team mate Esteban Ocon further down the order in ninth.

It was a good session for Alfa Romeo, with Valtteri Bottas – who won at Suzuka in 2019 – eighth quickest, with team mate Zhou Guanyu, in 10th.

Charles Leclerc set a time good enough for 11th, ahead of the Williams duo of Nicholas Latifi and Alex Albon, who were 12th and 13th, respectively, in the timesheets.

Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda was down in P14, ahead of four-time Japanese Grand Prix winner Sebastian Vettel, in 15th.

There were no red flags in the session, although we did see drivers – including Leclerc and Tsunoda – make their way through the gravel as they wrestled with the tricky conditions.

Parth Kakade

Recent Posts

Mumbai’s Street MBA: How A Bag Hustle Became A ₹8 Lakh Business

A Mumbai auto driver earns up to ₹8 lakh per month by offering a simple…

1 hour ago

Five Districts In Manipur Face Internet Shutdown Following Unrest

Manipur suspended internet in five districts for five days after protests over arrest of a…

2 hours ago

Shashi Tharoor Criticises Pakistan: “In Pakistan You Get Rewarded For Promoting Terrorism”

Shashi Tharoor condemns Pakistan’s treatment of Dr Shakil Afridi, who helped the US locate Osama…

2 hours ago

How To Read Food Labels & Make Smarter Grocery Choices

Reading food labels helps you make informed, healthier choices by understanding nutrition facts & picking…

3 hours ago

JP Nadda Slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Match-Fixing’ Claims As ‘Desperation Of Losing’ Polls

Rahul Gandhi's opinion piece appeared in a national daily and sparked political uproar. Opposition parties…

15 hours ago

Poverty In India Reduced Via Tangible Boost In Household Living Standards, Incomes

In 2022–23, poverty under the revised $3.00 line stood at just 5.25 per cent in…

15 hours ago