Mercedes ahead of Red Bull in the second free practice in Japan

The Englishman George Russell (Mercedes) dominated this Friday in the second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. Photo: Getty.

The English George Russell (Mercedes) dominated this Friday in the second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, the eighteenth of the Formula One World Championship, which was held on the wet track of the Suzuka circuit.

in the best of his 22 laps, Russell covered, with intermediate tirethe 5,807 meters of the legendary Japanese track in a minute, 41 seconds and 935 thousandths, 235 less that his partner and compatriot, the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

In a session in which Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull)outstanding leader of the World Cup -which in Japan will have its second opportunity to leave mathematically sentenced the revalidation of the title– set the third time, to eight and a half tenths.

The Mexican ‘Czech’ Perezthird in the World Cup, with 235 points -106 behind his Dutch teammate and only two behind the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)-, who has just won the Singapore Grand Prix brilliantly last Sunday, signed the fourth period of the test.

KNOW MORE: ‘Checo’ Pérez wins in Singapore

The brave driver from Guadalajara (Jalisco), who repeated the legendary Japanese track 25 times, stayed, in his best attempt, almost nine tenths behind Russell, in a rehearsal that lasted an hour and a half, half an hour longer than usual, with the end of next year’s tires being tested; something that turned out to be impossible, due to the wet conditions of the Japanese track. In which everyone completed their best lap on the intermediate compound.

The German Mike Schumacher (Haas), who had hilly -without major physical consequences- at the end of the first training session, in which he had scored the seventh time, did not come out in the second.

#F1 This is how Mick Schumacher left his Haas when he had already finished FP1. #JapaneseGP
photo tv @F1 pic.twitter.com/AdoI0QBZRe

– Fernando Tornello (@F1Tornello) October 7, 2022

Free practice will be completed this Saturdayhours before qualifying, which will order the starting line-up for Sunday’s race, scheduled for 53 laps and with a distance of 307.4 kilometres.

– Time table of the second free practice for the Japanese GP:

.1. George Russell GBR Mercedes 1:41,935

.two. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 1:42,170

.3. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull 1:42,786

.4. Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull 1:42.834

.5. Kevin Magnussen DIN Haas 1:43,187

.6. Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 1:43,204

.7. Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine 1:43,533

.8. Valtteri Bottas END Alfa Romeo 1:43,733

.9. Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine 1:43,884