We began this session on a damp track since the weather changed overnight from being dry and dusty in FP1 to being cloudy and damp.

With a time of 1:06.050 yesterday, Maximilian Gunther was the fastest. Despite the track appearing to be drying up early and having multiple areas of standing water, grip was anticipated to be challenging. 

FP2 Starts

Edoardo Mortara’s time of 1:07.070 was the fastest at the start, with De Vries not far behind. With 35 minutes left, Wehrlein, Evans, and Cassidy are in the top three, but Barnard and Mueller have pushed their way to the top, moving Cassidy down to P5. Dennis crossed the finish line but only finished at P14. Barnard demonstrated his skills but had a minor rear lockup in the final corner, earning him P1 with a timing of 1:16.100.

Frijns pushed to maximize his lap time, going deep into the corner. Cassidy was in the pits for what appeared to be a suspension problem, similar to what Frijns faced in FP1. Evans managed to keep control despite a minor oversteer. Wehrlein’s lap time of 1:15.097 put him in the lead.

25 Minutes Remain

Mortara was in P2, and Vandoorne was in P3. With eleven drivers still out on the track, James Barclay has confirmed that Cassidy’s problem is with the front right suspension. Since it’s a common part, they will be checking with Envision to see whether it’s the same problem. We followed Vergne as he made an incredible lap, going from P16 to P9.

10 Minutes Remain

Hughes outpaced Wehrlein with a lap time of 1:13.673. More drivers took to the track, battling for grip and putting in a strong lap. An investigation is underway into a tire pressure violation involving Rowland, Gunther, and Frijns. Barnard makes a 1:15.184 leap from P8 to P3. Cassidy appears to have gotten the problem fixed because he is again back on track at P22.

5 Minutes Remain

A dry line was forming as Hughes maintained the lead. Please note that Buemi’s slow driving on the racing line during yesterday’s FP1 is still being investigated.

2 Minutes Remain

While every driver was on track, traffic was increasing as they attempted to maintain their speed and stay on the dry line. Hughs, Werlein, and Barnard were still in the top three as we concluded the session, and the rankings remained unchanged.

FP2 Finishes

They practiced a racing start, with turns 17 and 18 being yellow and turning back to green. Di Grassi’s excessive speeding in the pit lane is also being investigated. Given the weather and the possibility of complications due to track conditions, there are mixed expectations for qualifying.

Highlights of FP2 included the Mahindras’ impressive performances. Cassidy left the session early due to a problem with the front right suspension. Regardless of the drying conditions, we also observed a lot of sliding from the soggy track. With a lap time of 1:13.673, Hughes concludes FP2 as P1 as we get ready for qualifying later today.