Max third in Baku FP2: 'It's about confidence and I feel good around here'

Published on 27 April 2018 by Stefan Meens

After limited running in the opening practice session, Max Verstappen bounced back with the third fastest time in the FP2 of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen was fastest in the streets of Baku. The Ferrari driver beat Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo by a mere 0.07s.

“FP1 was a shame”, says Max, referring to his crash that ruled him out of most of FP1. “It was my fault, I lost the rear and I spun. Luckily there wasn’t too much damage and compliments to the guys who fixed it so quickly. I guess it’s part of a first training session on a street circuit. I’m not worried about it.”

“This track is all about confidence. With it, you can gain a lot of time and I feel good around here”, explains the Dutchman. “At the end of the session we were worried we would have another engine issue, but it’s fine, there’s no damage. It was a sensor issue. In the end I was able to do all of my scheduled tasks in FP2 so it was ultimately a good day. The car feels good on the long runs so that’s good for the race.”

Almost everybody starts FP2 on the super-softs. The two Haas of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen are the first drivers to set a competitive lap time, but Daniel Ricciardo quickly restores order by going quickest.

Twenty minutes into the session, Max heads out for his first run. His RB14 also sports the super-softs.

Ricciardo switches to the fastest tyre available this weekend, the ultra-soft. The Australian utilizes the extra grip to establish his position at the top of the table.

At the halfway point of the session, Max opts for the ultra-soft compound. In his first flying lap on fresh rubber, Max clocks the third quickest time, despite a minor brush of the wall.

Shortly after, all the teams focus on long runs, in preparation for the race on Sunday. The lap times do not drop any further, resulting in Raikkonen being the fastest man on Friday, followed by both Red Bulls.

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Results second free practice Azerbaijan: