The Free Practice 2 began different for Red Bull. After their morning issues, Max Verstappen could go on track after Red Bull solved the RB14’s problems. The dutch driver hadn’t time to rest doing the job of the 2 practices in one.
The first problems arrived with Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber spinning in the second corner due accelerating to much, despite he returned to track. However, nobody expected Ferrari’s performance in this track. They reached the top with Vettel and also Räikkönen.
Finnish driver setted the pace in the race simulation with the fastest time followed closer by his teammate. Mercedes placed at 0.5s behind the two red cars, leaded by Bottas, who got the Pole Position last year. Red Bull setted 0.3s slower than Brackley’s team, as they fixed a good performance. But Pierre Gasly was the surprise putting Toro Rosso in 8th.
After that, teams have done racing simulations. Ferrari had also setted the pace and they showed that soft-tyres would be the race rubber, and it may be a possibility to see the medium-tyres during the race. Supersoft are too soft for the track because of the high temperature and the sand. In some cases, these tyres have lowered their performance in the early first lap.. We have to pay attention in race strategy.
Gasly doesn’t have to be an important enemy to McLaren, Renault, Force India or Haas who in this practice hadn’t got the same performance as the first session. Maybe the night is not good for the american team, but in both practices we saw them outside Top 10. Leclerc had a good performance also, setting as the best of the lower zone, excepting Gasly, of course.
The action will return tomorrow with the Free Practice 3 and the Qualifying where everything could happen.
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME SET | DIF. | LAPS |
| 1 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:29.817 | 32 | |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1:29.828 | +0.011s | 37 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1:30.380 | +0.563s | 31 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:30.472 | +0.655s | 32 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.745 | +0.928s | 32 |
| 6 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.751 | +0.934s | 31 |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1:31.220 | +1.403s | 34 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso Honda | 1:31.232 | +1.415s | 38 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren Renault | 1:31.282 | +1.465s | 29 |
| 10 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren Renault | 1:31.422 | +1.605s | 35 |
| 11 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1:31.591 | +1.774s | 33 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Renault | 1:31.601 | +1.784s | 34 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Force India | 1:31.809 | +1.992s | 31 |
| 14 | Sergio Perez | Force India | 1:31.868 | +2.051s | 34 |
| 15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:31.969 | +2.152s | 35 |
| 16 | Charles Leclerc | Alfa Romeo Sauber | 1:32.372 | +2.555s | 37 |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Williams | 1:32.382 | +2.565s | 30 |
| 18 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams | 1:32.474 | +2.657s | 37 |
| 19 | Marcus Ericsson | Alfa Romeo Sauber | 1:32.733 | +2.916s | 32 |
| 20 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso Honda | 1:32.908 | +3.091s | 38 |