Portugal, FP2: Hamilton quickest ahead of Verstappen in second practice

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap of second practice session for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to top spot by a little under 1500ths of a second.

The session start was delayed for 10 minutes to allow officials to inspect a drain cover on the outside of Turn 11 but when running eventually go underway Verstappen, second fastest in the morning behind Valtteri Bottas, quickly moved to the top of the order with a lap of 1:20.937. With almost all cars on track in a busy opening phase, the Dutchman was soon dislodged by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and then by Bottas and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez.

Verstappen then moved back to P1 with a lap of 1:20.332, but both Mercedes drivers were preparing to go out again and when they took to the track on soft compound tyres, Verstappen’s tenure at the top was always going to be fragile – and so it proved.

Bottas retook first place on the timesheet with a lap of 1:20.181. Hamilton, though, was looking more composed than in the opening session, during which he complained of poor balance, and he powered past his team-mate’s time to take P1 0.344s ahead of the Finn. Hamilton’s time of 1:19.837 would remain the fastest of the session.

Verstappen then went out for his performance run and though the Dutchman’s pace was a match for Hamilton across the first sector he lost time as the lap wore on and finished 0.143s adrift of the defending champion.

Sainz took fourth place ahead of Alpine drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, while Charles Leclerc was seventh in the second Ferrari.

Daniel Ricciardo finished in eighth place ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.