Ricciardo continues at top of leaderboard, Hamilton fifth, Vettel 11th

Daniel Ricciardo put the onus on Mercedes and Ferrari by setting the fastest time in the second practice session of the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The Chinese GP winner set the early pace and improved to a time of 1min 42.795sec, just under a tenth ahead of second place Kimi Räikkönen.

Max Verstappen, who crashed out halfway through FP1, recovered to finish third in FP2, 0.116sec off the pace. But the Red Bull driver limped to the pits late in FP2 with a power unit issue.

FP1 leader Valtteri Bottas finished fourth, ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso (sixth) once again cemented a spot in the top 10, ahead of Force India’s Esteban Ocon who continued a strong Friday showing to finish seventh.

Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz Jr, 20^th in FP1, finished eighth ahead of Kevin Magnussen. Nico Hülkenberg rounded out a close top 10 separated by just 1.296sec.

Sebastian Vettel managed to break the top 10 in FP1, but the drivers’ standings leader locked up three times in the second practice session and settled for 11^th, 1.332sec off the pace.

Sergio Pérez finished third in the first session but ended FP2 with the 12^th fastest time, comfortably ahead of Romain Grosjean.

Neither Sauber broke into the top 15, with Charles Leclerc 16^th and Marcus Ericsson 20^th – behind McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne.

Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix FP2 results