F1 Spanish GP: Max Verstappen stays on top in second practice as Fernando Alonso closes in and Mercedes struggle
The reigning world champion fo💦llowed up his crushing display to top Friday’s opening session by making it a practice double to head FP2 as he became the first driver to dip into the 1m13s.
But the Red Bull driver was only 0.170s cleaꦚr 💖of Alonso is his upgraded Aston Martin as the Spaniard teased the prospect of another battle with Verstappen in front of his adoring home crowd.
Nico Hulkenberg produced a brilliant lap to put his Haas just 0.270s off the pace in third, ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez.🔴
Esteban Ocon continued Alpine’s promising start to the weekend by tak🌳ing fifth, ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Ferrari have brought a revise🧸d sidepod and floor edge to Barcel𝐆ona as part of a significant upgrade package they hope will bring them closer to Red Bull.
Mercedes struggled for pace despite bringing their heavily-upgrade▨d W14 to Barcelona, with George Russell only eighth-fastest and nearly half a second adrift.
Lewis Hamilton was a couple of tenths slower in the sister Mercedes as he missed out on the top-10.🐲
The seven-time wo♓rld champion wound up 11th behind Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, w🌄ith less than a second splitting the top-17 runners.
R✱ussell was left angered by Oscar Piastri after being forced into the Turn 10 gravel as he took evasive action to avoid hitting the McLarenℱ.
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