Dutch GP: Ferrari overtakes Lewis Hamilton in second game as Max Verstappen’s struggle at home continues
Charles Leclerc sets the pace in Practice Two, placing himself just +0.004 seconds ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz; watch Practice 3 at 11am on Saturday followed by Qualifiers at 2pm, build shows from 1pm, all live on Sky Sports F1
By Megan Wellens and Emma Thurston
Last Updated: 09/02/22 4:34 pm
Charles Leclerc set the pace in Practice Two for the Dutch GP as Ferrari overtook Lewis Hamilton, while Max Verstappen’s rough start at his home Zandvoort on the weekend continued.
Oscar Piastri’s contract decision dominated the early session discussion, with the Contract Accreditation Board unanimously ruling in favor of McLaren and Piastri, but Leclerc took the lead.
Leclerc’s 1:12,345 lap ensured he topped the timesheets on Friday night, followed by teammate Carlos Sainz (+0.004s), and Ferrari looked far more competitive than last weekend in Belgium.
Mercedes also continues to find pace on a more favorable layout with Lewis Hamilton 0.072 seconds in third and George Russell just three tenths of the way behind. McLaren’s Lando Norris has split the two Mercedes drivers.
After gearbox problems caused Verstappen’s first practice session to end 10 minutes early, he struggled to find pace on his home circuit in the second session, finishing eighth.
Verstappen Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez also failed to capture his RB18 and finished 12th on the timesheet, leaving the team to think hard about overnighting.
Daniel Riccardo’s second practice session ended 10 minutes early due to an oil leak from the car’s radiator and a short time later, Yuki Tsunoda on the track crashed the car into gravel and brought home a red flag.
More to follow….