Singapore GP – Free Practice 2: Vettel Responds to Hamilton

Unlike this morning, the drivers were entitled to the full 90 minutes allocated during this second practice session. The problem with the curbs was resolved by their outright removal in certain corners, such as at number 13, which slightly changes the trajectory as well as the drivers’ reference points.

After the first quarter hour, Vettel is leading with a time of 1:48.171, which is already faster than Lewis Hamilton’s time this morning, who completed a lap in 1:48.599. Compared to this morning, the drivers are taking more risks and narrowly avoiding the walls, some even rubbing their tires. After the first half-hour, Vettel is still leading the field with 1:47.375, but Lewis Hamilton is coming out of his garage with his McLaren. The Englishman could be Red Bull driver’s number one rival this weekend. The McLaren driver is aggressively hitting the curbs and losing some carbon pieces, just like Kobayashi at the wheel of his Sauber.

The yellow flag is out for the first time in this session, 50 minutes before the end, following Jenson Button’s off-track excursion. The 2009 world champion missed the braking point, and the session is over for him. Another yellow flag is waved 15 minutes later after Sebastien Buemi hit the wall hard after turn 21. The Swiss driver abandons his car at turn 22, his session is also over; he was 16th at that moment. At the front, it’s Fernando Alonso who shows the fastest pace with a time of 1:46.575, leading his teammate by five-tenths. But Vettel is determined to set the record straight before the session ends and clocks a 1:46.374.

This time will not be beaten and Vettel therefore finishes this second session at the top of the timesheet, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Free Practice 2 Results of the Singapore Grand Prix