#JapaneseGP FP2: @Max33Verstappen tops time-sheets ahead of @CharlesLeclerc. #F1

Verstappen Japanese GP FP2 – Championship leader Max Verstappen topped the time-sheets in FP2 at the Japanese GP ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris who rounded out the top three as the session ended under a red flag due to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s shunt at Degner 2.

Verstappen posted the benchmark of a 1:30.688 on the C3 red side-walled softer rubber and was 0.320 seconds clear of Leclerc with Norris a further 0.464 seconds adrift of the reigning two-time world champion in third.

The Dutchman had originally posted a 1:31.577 in his opening stint on the softs to go on top of the order in the earlier proceedings, as the majority of the pack ran Pirelli’s prototype tyre.

But Verstappen’s lap-time was knocked off by McLaren’s Norris, who swapped over to the softs and set a 1:31.152 to underline the MCL60’s pace on the technical and fast-flowing Suzuka International Racing Course.

Leclerc then jumped to the top with a 1:31.008, as Ferrari looked to maintain it’s advantage over the other teams chasing second place in the World Constructor’s Championship standings from Singapore. Last weekend’s Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz continued to show Ferrari’s strong package to moving into third place, behind Norris.

After Red Bull had been widely predicted to bounce back at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen proved that hypothesis having posted an effort under the 1:31 bracket, going 0.320 seconds ahead of Leclerc.

As this preceded the traditional long race run data gathering runs as the teams assessed tyre performance and degradation ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix, Verstappen’s benchmark remained untouched in the final 20 minutes and the Red Bull driver stayed in-front of Leclerc for the remainder of Free Practice 2.

This was put beyond doubt when Alpine’s Pierre Gasly shunted at the end of proceedings with two minutes remaining, having dropped his A523 racer at turn nine to put his car in the wall just before the overpass.

The Frenchman came out of Degner 2 with too much speed and locked-up to skate across the gravel.

Norris remained third after Verstappen’s effort as Sainz took fourth in the classification, whilst Mercedes’ George Russell moved into fifth place and appeared to suffer high tyre degradation with his F1 W14 entry as he continued to gather data on his soft tyre stint.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was sixth and in-front of Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon who placed seventh and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who came eighth in the order.

The other Red Bull RB19 entry of Sergio Perez was ninth as Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas completed the top ten.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll ended the day outside the top ten in 11th place and ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who was 12th, Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg who placed 13th and Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton who finished 14th in the classification.

AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson took 15th and in-front of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu who ended his session early due to a hydraulics and power-unit issue and Haas F1 Team’s Magnussen who came 17th in the classification.

Home Grand Prix favourite Yuki Tsunoda placed 18th in his AlphaTauri AT04 entry as the aforementioned Alpine of Gasly and Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Lenovo Japanese Grand Prix 2023 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1220/japan/practice-2.html

#JapaneseGP FP1: @Max33Verstappen quickest by 0.626s over @Carlossainz55. #F1

#Formula1 Lenovo #JapaneseGP 2023 Preview. #F1