Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel yesterday set the fastest time in the second practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit.
Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas struggled with grip and went off track into the gravel within moments of each other.
Bottas’ left wheel locked as he came out of turn 10. Hamilton, out of turn 7, skidded sideways and then backward into the dirt.
Hamilton was sixth and Bottas seventh.
Kimi Raikkonen was second to give Ferrari a confidence boost ahead of qualifying today.
The session was stopped with 20 minutes remaining when Haas driver Romain Grosjean went into the barriers at full speed after clipping a loose drain cover with his left tire and flying across the track.
He climbed out unharmed. The tire was shredded. His car was towed away. Race director Charlie Whiting inspected the damage made by the loose drain cover.
Whiting and another official from motorsport governing body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile spent several minutes examining other drain covers on the track.
“One drain grate has come up. It just seems that it has broken away,” said Whiting, explaining that further checks would be made on other drains during the evening. “We have to get it fixed for tomorrow, of course.”
Grosjean seemed to take it in his stride.
“I didn’t see anything. Next thing I knew I was spinning and heading for the wall,” the French driver said.
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