Ricciardo continues at top of leaderboard, Hamilton fifth, Vettel 11th
Daniel Ricciardo put the onus on Mercedes and Ferrari by setting the fastest time in the second practice session of the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The Chinese GP winner set the early pace and improved to a time of 1min 42.795sec, just under a tenth ahead of second place Kimi Räikkönen.
Max Verstappen, who crashed out halfway through FP1, recovered to finish third in FP2, 0.116sec off the pace. But the Red Bull driver limped to the pits late in FP2 with a power unit issue.
FP1 leader Valtteri Bottas finished fourth, ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso (sixth) once again cemented a spot in the top 10, ahead of Force India’s Esteban Ocon who continued a strong Friday showing to finish seventh.
Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz Jr, 20th in FP1, finished eighth ahead of Kevin Magnussen. Nico Hülkenberg rounded out a close top 10 separated by just 1.296sec.
Sebastian Vettel managed to break the top 10 in FP1, but the drivers’ standings leader locked up three times in the second practice session and settled for 11th, 1.332sec off the pace.
Sergio Pérez finished third in the first session but ended FP2 with the 12th fastest time, comfortably ahead of Romain Grosjean.
Neither Sauber broke into the top 15, with Charles Leclerc 16th and Marcus Ericsson 20th – behind McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne.
| 1 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1min 42.795sec | |
| 2 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1min 42.864sec | +0.069sec |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1min 42.911sec | +0.116sec |
| 4 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1min 43.570sec | +0.775sec |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1min 43.603sec | +0.808sec |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 1min 43.700sec | +0.905sec |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | Force India | 1min 43.814sec | +1.019sec |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz Jr | Toro Rosso | 1min 43.834sec | +1.039sec |
| 9 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1min 43.977sec | +1.182sec |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault | 1min 44.091sec | +1.296sec |
| 11 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1min 44.127sec | +1.332sec |
| 12 | Sergio Pérez | Force India | 1min 44.142sec | +1.347sec |
| 13 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1min 44.425sec | +1.630sec |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Williams | 1min 44.459sec | +1.664sec |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso | 1min 44.712sec | +1.917sec |
| 16 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber | 1min 44.940sec | +2.145sec |
| 17 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams | 1min 45.007sec | +2.212sec |
| 18 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso | 1min 45.051sec | +2.256sec |
| 19 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | 1min 45.288sec | +2.493sec |
| 20 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 1min 46.042sec | +3.247sec |
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