GP England 2019 (2nd practice): Mercedes in front, Ferrari next

E s is the expected result. Two Mercedes are leading the way on training Friday at Silverstone. In reverse order to the status in the world championship. Valtteri Bottas had the upper hand in the second competition of the day. The Finn lapped the 5.891-kilometer course in 1: 26.732 minutes.

As in the morning, Mercedes shone on the medium tires and fought on the soft compound. Bottas improved only minimally on the red marked Pirellis. It was the other way around for teammates. Lewis Hamilton pushed himself up to 69 thousandths on the soft tire. It could possibly have been faster. In the second attempt, however, the 34-year-old in the Mercedes with starting number 44 exaggerated. The Silver Arrow derailed in the winding bends of Maggots-Becketts-Chapel and rumbled through the run-off zone.

The world champion is aiming for his seventh pole position and sixth victory at Silverstone this weekend. Bottas wants to prevent it in order to reduce the gap in the world championship from the current 31 points. Last year's pole mark, set by Hamilton in 1: 25.892 minutes, should definitely fall in dry conditions.

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Charles Leclerc only lost almost two tenths of the fastest time.

Leclerc again in front of Vettel

Mercedes in front, Ferrari behind. To the delight of the Italians, the gap remained small. Charles Leclerc lost less than two tenths of a second in his fastest lap. That is comparatively little over the almost six kilometers. The experts had expected that Mercedes would move further away at Silverstone. In order to determine the actual balance of power, we have to take Saturdaywait. Only in qualifying will all teams drive with empty tanks and maximum performance.

Sebastian Vettel couldn't keep up with his teammate. The four-time title holder followed Leclerc by two and a half tenths. Red Bull slipped back. In the morning, Pierre Gasly had the record noted. In the afternoon the Frenchman finished fifth, 0.517 seconds back. At least Gasly placed himself in front of the garage neighbor.

Max Verstappen only came in seventh in the second training session. There is obviously an explanation for this. In his fast lap, the Dutchman digged through the traffic and therefore did not step on the soft tires. The six-time GP winner set his personal best time on the medium tires.

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Lando Norris pulled away from the rest of the midfield.

Tight fight in midfield

McLaren led the midfield. Lando Norris was sixth ahead of Verstappen and more than four tenths of a second ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard came eighth, but unlike the Englishman, he didn't have the modified underbody and the differently modulated bargeboards on the car. McLaren wants to deliver a second set to the track on Saturday. The Silverstone slope suits the MCL34, which likes particularly fast corners. McLaren still has room for improvement in slow corners.

Toro Rosso made a good impression on a fast lap. After two pointless races, Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon want to return to the top half of the table. At least the Thai managed to finish ninth in training. The moderate temperatures of 21 degrees help Red Bull's junior team. Similar to the Mercedes W10, the STR14 did not get the great heat of Austria and the altitude. In contrast to Spielberg, Silverstone is only around 70 meters above sea level.

Racing Point feels at home in Silverstone, although the RP19 lacks downforce. But the new asphalt and the reduced number of bumps get the pink car. Because the RP19 is not shaken out of the aerodynamics window.

The two Renaults missed the top 10. In midfield, the small things make the difference. There were only three tenths between the eighth Sainz and the seventeenth Antonio Giovinazzi in the second training session. Alfa team mate Kimi Raikkonen drove with a new engine after the breakdown in the morning. The technicians are still examining the Friday drive unit.

A new defect overtook Daniel Ricciardo. The Renault driver rolled out on the track a quarter of an hour before the end. Williams is beaten last. George Russell only got eleven rounds. That smells like a technology problem.