Max P7 in FP2: "Still work to do"

Published on 28 October 2016 by Stefan Meens

After brake issues resulted in limited running in the first free practice session to Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen finished his Friday with a productive FP2. In the end, the Red Bull Racing driver managed P7. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) was quickest, followed by the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

“We still have some work to do”, explained Max to Verstappen.nl. “It’s looking good but ahead of qualifying we still need to work on the balance for the short runs on the super-softs. We’re racing on a relatively short track with a lot of traffic. That’s something we need to think of during qualifying. During the long runs, the car felt great, which is really positive. We can build on this so we should be near the front tomorrow.”

At the start of FP2, the track temperature is significantly higher than earlier on the day. Judging by the fact that several drivers complain about the lack of grip and the amount of small mistakes made, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez proves a real challenge.

Max starts his session with a run on the medium tyre, followed by stint on the super-softs. The second part of the session is all about the long runs. Max completes his first long run on the super-soft Pirellis but struggles to keep up with the Ferraris and Mercedes.

On a used set of the medium compound Max resumes his long runs, posting competitive lap times. Interestingly, the Dutchman is second is the speed trap behind Felipe Massa in the Williams.

Max wraps up his day with encouraging lap times during his long run. Nevertheless, he does not improve his lap times and finishes in P7. The Friday ends with Daniil Kvyat’s Scuderia Toro Rosso breaking down in a cloud of smoke.

Mexican Grand Prix - Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez - Friday 28 October

FREE PRACTICE 2 RESULTS

01  5 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                     1:19.790           47
02 44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                    1:19.794  +0.004s  37
03  6 Nico Rosberg        Mercedes                    1:20.225  +0.435s  46
04  7 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                     1:20.259  +0.469s  37
05  3 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:20.448  +0.658s  43
06 27 Nico Hulkenberg     Force India Mercedes        1:20.574  +0.784s  43
07 33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:20.619  +0.829s  42
08 77 Valtteri Bottas     Williams Mercedes           1:20.629  +0.839s  41
09 55 Carlos Sainz        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:20.974  +1.184s  46
10 14 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda               1:21.003  +1.213s  25
11 26 Daniil Kvyat        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:21.193  +1.403s  39
12 22 Jenson Button       McLaren Honda               1:21.198  +1.408s  39
13 19 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes           1:21.326  +1.536s  45
14 20 Kevin Magnussen     Renault                     1:21.442  +1.652s  39
15 11 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes        1:21.579  +1.789s  41
16 30 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                     1:21.785  +1.995s  44
17 94 Pascal Wehrlein     MRT Mercedes                1:21.980  +2.190s  42
18  9 Marcus Ericsson     Sauber Ferrari              1:21.997  +2.207s  42
19 12 Felipe Nasr         Sauber Ferrari              1:22.037  +2.247s  43
20  8 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari                1:22.105  +2.315s  14
21 31 Esteban Ocon        MRT Mercedes                1:22.298  +2.508s  44
22 21 Esteban Gutierrez   Haas Ferrari                1:22.408  +2.618s  33 

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