Singapore, FP2: Kvyat springs surprise with fastest time in second practice

Kvyat leads Mercedes-free top three

Daniil Kyvat recovered from a first-session technical issue to set the fastest time of the late-evening practice session as neither Mercedes driver finished in the top three.

Red Bull’s Kvyat was sidelined for much of opening practice with a fuel system problem and completed just eight laps in the opening 90-minute period. He bounced back in the first session run fully under lights, however to claim top spot with a time of 1:46.142 set of the option Pirelli supersoft tyres.

Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen got closest to the young Russian, finishing the session just 0.039s behind the Red Bull driver.

Red Bull’s improved form on the winding streets of Singapore, where power deficits are not so relevant, was demonstrated in the opening session by Daniel Ricciardo who was third fastest in FP1 and the Australian finished in the position in the second session, 0.114s behind his team-mate.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fourth position as Mercedes had a quiet session and the Briton finished over three tenths of a second off the pace. Team-mate Nico Rosberg ended the session in seventh position, behind Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari and the Force India of Sergio Perez.

Like Red Bull, McLaren appeared to benefit from the circuit’s lesser power requirements and Fernando Alonso posted the eighth-fastest time of the session ahead of the second Force India of Nico Hulkenberg and Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen.

Manor’s difficult start to the weekend, which began with Alexander Rossi crashing out at the end of FP1, continued in the second session when Will Stevens brought FP2 to a halt when he hit the wall at Turn 11. While his car did not appear badly damaged he only managed to complete three laps in the session. Rossi, meanwhile, only completed nine laps with Manor needing to replace his car’s gearbox.