Practice 2 Report - Ricciardo Rules

By Dan Knutson in Monaco

Daniel Ricciardo ruled Free Practice 2 for the Monaco Grand Prix as he was the only driver to get below the one minute and 15 second lap-time level during the session.

The ambient temperature at the start of the 90-minute session was 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Centigrade.)

The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Ferrari - Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. Williams Mercedes - Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. Red Bull TAG Heuer - Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen . Force India Mercedes - Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. Renault - Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer. Toro Rosso Ferrari - Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz. Sauber Ferrari - Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. McLaren Honda - Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. Manor Mercedes - Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto. Haas Ferrari - Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez.

Between FP1 and FP2 workers welded up the drain cover that had come loose in FP1 and created some havoc that caused flat tires for Rosberg and Button, and the session to be red flagged.

Just seven minutes into the session Grosjean crashed into the barriers before the chicane.

"I crashed at the exit of the tunnel," he radioed. "The car completely went, I don't know - I must have a puncture."

Hamilton set the pace with a time of 1:15.489.

Ricciardo set a new benchmark 16 minutes into FP2 with a 1:15.315 on the Pirelli super soft slicks. He then lowered that to a 1:15.015.

"I'm okay," Haryanto radioed after smashing the barriers in the lead up to the chicane and then slithering into the chicane run off area 21 minutes into the session.

For the second time in FP2 the virtual safety car was deployed. Most of the drivers were in the pits at this time.

Just before the 30-minute mark the top 10 were: Ricciardo, Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz, Rosberg, Kvyat, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Button and Gutierrez.

Palmer had yet to go out as the mechanics were still repairing his car after he skimmed the guardrails in FP1.

Rosberg, on the ultra softs, clocked a 1:15.537 and took over the third slot 39 minutes into the session. Hamilton's run on the "purple" tires was spoiled by cutting the chicane. Rosberg improved to a 1:15.506 but stayed in third.

Ricciardo was on a roll as he turned a 1:14.607 on the ultra softs just past the midpoint of FP2. Hamilton got down to a 1:15.213.

Pirelli tweeted: The fastest-ever Monaco race lap, for those asking, was 1m14.439s by Michael Schumacher @scuderiaferrari in 2004."

The Toro Rossos were looking strong with Kvyat and Sainz fifth and sixth behind Verstappen.

Vettel, who had a spin at Mirabeau and damaged the rear wing, was down in 14th at the time. Grosjean was back in action after the Haas mechanics had repaired his car.

Palmer finally made it out with 30 minutes to go. A few minutes later his teammate Magnussen poked into the barriers at Turn 19, thus insuring some more work for the Renault mechanics.

Raikkonen was on the "go" as he jumped up to seventh place.

By now most of the rest of the drivers were doing their long run simulations. Not Vettel, however, as he moved up to ninth.

With 13 minutes to go only Grosjean was in the pits. The on-track traffic continued until the checkered flag.

The top 10 at the end of FP2 were: Ricciardo, Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Kvyat, Sainz, Raikkonen, Perez, Vettel and Button.