Leclerc leads FP2 as Ricciardo crashes

Carlos Sainz finished second ahead of Red Bull pair Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, who was unable to gain as much time on aging rubber during the qualifying simulation efforts in the mid-part of FP2 compared to his teammate.

Ferrari began the second session running the hard tyres, which meant Leclerc and Sainz ran adrift of early pace-setter Perez, who had deposed Alex Albon at the head of the times after three minutes of the one-hour session had passed.

Perez’s 1m16.176s stood as the initial benchmark before Leclerc forged ahead on a 1m15.763s after five minutes had passed, with Sainz then slotting into first on a 1m14.880s as the drivers quickly built back towards the confidence levels they had reached in FP1 and has additional rubber was put down on the racing line.

After 10 minutes, Perez’s 1m14.001s on the mediums put him back ahead, now with Verstappen trailing behind and with Leclerc’s subsequent effort as the opening 15 minutes came to a close putting him third.

At this stage proceedings were halted when Ricciardo crashed heavily at the second part of the Swimming Pool complex.

Moments after Sebastian Vettel had dramatically saved a sideways moment at the same spot to avoid a smash into the barriers aboard his Aston Martin, Ricciardo, who was on his first timed lap of FP2 as he had missed the first chunk of running, lost his McLaren’s rear as he turned in for the Turn 13 left-hand apex at the entry to the sequence.

As Ricciardo reacted to the sudden slide, the car snapped left and hit the barriers on the outside of the first Swimming Pool chicane, knocking off its front wing and smashing its left-front wheel, with the wrecked machine then sliding along the track and hitting the barriers on inside the second chicane.

After a near 10-minute delay the session restarted, with most of the field switching to softs to complete their qualifying simulations, even more critical practice than usual at a track that offers so little chance for overtaking.