Max third in second Sochi practice: 'A bit of a surprise'

Published on 28 September 2018 by Stefan Meens

After a second place in FP1, Max Verstappen set the third fastest time in the second free practice session of the Russian Grand Prix. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton lapped the Sochi Autodrom quickest, ahead of team mate Valtteri Bottas.

“Third is a bit of a surprise, it went better than expected", said the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver. "The balance of the car is good. However, on the long runs, which we are focusing on, the ultra- and hyper-soft compounds are a challenge. We need to analyse that further. But the car behaves well and we're near the front so we can’t complain.”

Looking ahead at qualifying, Max said: “I’ll probably only do Q1. Saturday isn’t that exciting for us but I’m looking forward to Sunday.”

An engine penalty means Max will start the race from the back of the grid. “We have to get to the front and overtake others. But because of the tyre wear, that won’t be easy. If we can improve the car a bit, it would help us in that area. Normally, we should quicker than most teams. Only Ferrari and Mercedes are faster so fifth or sixth should be a realistic target.”

Fifteen minutes into the session, Max heads out for his first run. On the hyper-soft Pirellis he clocks several strong laps, leaping him to the top of the leaderboards. Despite his second run, again on hyper-soft rubber, being quicker – clocking his fastest effort of the day (1:33.827) – The Red Bull Racer is no longer P1; Mercedes have firmly taken matters into their own hands with Hamilton and Bottas ending the Friday in first and second.

At the halfway mark, Max heads out on the ultra-softs. It is the first time today the Dutchman opts to not use the softest compound, reason being the team shifts its focus on long runs. As the ultra-softs offer less grip than the hyper equivalent, the lap times are not bettered in the remainder of the session.

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Results second free practice Russia: