The Mercedes driver recorded the lap on Soft tyres, finishing ahead of Lando Norris, second in 1:46.134, and Max Verstappen, third in 1:46.416.

During FP2, held with track temperatures of 37°C and air temperatures of 25°C, drivers used only the Medium C3 and Soft C4 compounds. The number of laps completed was generally lower than usual due to the red flag caused by Gasly, which interrupted the second free practice session. Antonelli and Norris stopped at 17 laps, while Verstappen reached 20.

In the first session, some teams also used the Hard C2. Audi, Alpine and Cadillac opted for this choice, before switching to Softs later in FP1. The rest of the field focused exclusively on the C3 and C4. Max Verstappen set the fastest time with a 1:47.070, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Temperatures were higher, with a peak of 43°C on track.

SIMONE BERRA – PIRELLI CHIEF ENGINEER

“The rain that fell overnight and throughout the day significantly reduced track grip, increasing lap times compared to both our and the teams’ expectations. If there is no further precipitation, the track will gradually rubber in and return to the anticipated levels. Despite the interruption in the second hour of free practice, teams should have gathered sufficient data to tackle the weekend.

“Degradation was slightly higher than initial expectations on the two softest compounds, on both axles: on the front due to abrasion, and on the rear due to thermal effects. We do not expect this phenomenon to recur over the coming days, when temperatures will be lower and the track conditions improved. The delta between Medium and Soft is between four and five tenths, in line with simulations.

“The Hard compound was used by only a few teams in FP1. Many teams therefore chose to preserve two sets of the hardest compound. It is interesting to consider the reason, given that a one-stop race on Sunday appears very likely. The additional set could represent a valuable joker in the event of a neutralisation during the Grand Prix, should a first stop have already been made.”