Japanese GP 2019

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Practice 2 Report - The last chance

Valtteri Bottas, Japanese GP 2019
© The Cahier Archive

By Dan Knutson in Suzuka

With Saturday’s activities being canceled due to the typhoon, Free Practice 2 on Friday afternoon was the last track time the drivers would get before the rescheduled qualifying on Sunday morning. So, just like in FP1, FP2 was a busy time for the drivers and teams. Furthermore, if qualifying would have to be canceled, then the stewards ruled that the lap times from FP2 would set the grid for Sunday’s race. If that’s the case, then Valtteri Bottas will start the race from pole position after clocking the fastest time in practice.

The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton and Bottas; Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc; Red Bull TAG Heuer – Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon; Renault – Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg; Haas Ferrari – Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; McLaren Renault – Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris; Racing Point Mercedes – Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll; Alfa Romeo Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi; Toro Rosso Honda – Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly; Williams Mercedes – George Russell and Robert Kubica.

Bottas was fastest in FP1 with a time of 1:28.731.

All the drivers love the Japanese circuit.

“I’m a big fan of Suzuka,” Stroll said. “It’s one of the best, if not the best track, on the calendar. It’s where you really get to feel a Formula 1 car come alive and each part of the lap has something special. It’s got a combination of low-speed and high-speed corners but, more than that, it’s the flow and the speed that’s incredible.

“It’s what we describe as an ‘old-school track’ without much run-off. So there’s very little margin for error and demands even more precision than most other circuits. You have to use every inch of tarmac to be quick there.”

The ambient temperature at the start of the 90-minute session was 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Centigrade). There was a 40 percent chance of rain.

Vettel was the first out on the old school track when FP2 began.

The ambient temperature at the start of the 90-minute session was 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Centigrade). There was a 40 percent chance of rain.

Vettel also set the first fast time – 1:30.386 – using Pirelli’s medium compound slicks.

A few minutes later, Bottas and Hamilton, who were also running the mediums, posted 1:29.469 and 1:29.760 respectively. That put them first and second until Albon split the pair with his 1:29.720. Hamilton then reclaimed second by turning a 1:29.692.

Next, Ricciardo claimed fourth, albeit on the softest of the three Pirelli compounds.

Sainz, Vettel, Hulkenberg and Norris rounded out the top 10 at the 20-minute mark. Verstappen, who had been in the garage the whole time, now finally got out on track.

Vettel was also back out there, this time on the softs, and he sliced in a 1:28.392. Verstappen, also on the soft tires, grabbed second with his own 1:28.457.

As the half-hour mark approached, the order was: Vettel, Verstappen, Bottas, Kvyat, Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon and Ricciardo. And Bottas had a spin out of the final turn.

Now Hamilton switched to the soft tires and took the lead with a 1:27.896. Bottas’ 1:28.374 put him second ahead of Vettel, Leclerc, Verstappen and Albon with 51 minutes remaining in the session.

Perez, Grosjean, Stroll and Kvyat rounded out the top 10 as the midpoint of FP2 approached. Then Verstappen improved but stayed second.

Hamilton shaved his time down to 1:27.885, and Bottas beat that with a 1:28.785. So the Mercs were one/two.

Others were doing qualifying sims now. Sainz moved into seventh, Albon to fifth and Kvyat into ninth.

As the one-hour mark approached, the order was: Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, Albon, Leclerc, Sainz, Perez, Norris and Raikkonen.

And now most drivers switched to race simulations for the last part of the session. So the top 10 with Bottas “on pole” remained unchanged until the very last minute when several drivers tried for a quick lap. Only Leclerc managed to improve. The final order was: Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Vettel, Albon, Sainz, Perez, Norris and Raikkonen.