AFP Agency
Finland’s Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) set the fastest time in the second free practice session of the Russian Grand Prix, the 15th round of the F1 World Championship, this Friday at the Sochi circuit (5.848 km).
Already the fastest in the first session, with 1 minute, 34 seconds and 427 thousandths, Bottas improved his time to 1:33.593 in the second to beat his teammate Lewis Hamilton, by 44 thousandths, and Frenchman Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), by 252.
He was followed by the British Lando Norris (McLaren), 561 seconds behind, the French Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 809 seconds behind, and the leader of the World Championship, the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull, 1 second and 28 thousandths behind.
The leader will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid. Verstappen, who has a five-point lead over Hamilton in the drivers’ championship, was already penalised with three places on the grid for having caused an accident with his rival in the last grand prix.
F1 regulations limit the number of changes to the various powertrain components of single-seater cars. When this number is exceeded, a penalty is automatic.
Monaco’s Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) also receives the same penalty. Mercedes are unbeaten in Sochi since the first Grand Prix in 2014. Hamilton has won four times, Nico Rosberg did so in 2016 and Valtteri Bottas in 2017 and 2020.
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2024-07-07 08:27:52
