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.
2021 FIA Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:19.837 33 209.812
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:19.980 0.143 26 209.437
3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:20.181 0.344 28 208.912
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:20.197 0.360 33 208.870
5 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:20.220 0.383 32 208.810
6 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:20.235 0.398 31 208.771
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.360 0.523 33 208.446
8 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1:20.418 0.581 31 208.296
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:20.427 0.590 31 208.273
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1:20.516 0.679 28 208.043
11 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:20.558 0.721 34 207.934
12 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:20.757 0.920 28 207.422
13 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:20.976 1.139 32 206.861
14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 1:21.053 1.216 33 206.664
15 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:21.074 1.237 32 206.611
16 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:21.225 1.388 22 206.227
17 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:21.238 1.401 32 206.194
18 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1:21.537 1.700 29 205.438
19 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:21.855 2.018 31 204.639
20 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1:22.638 2.801 28 202.700
