Hungarian GP: Sebastian Vettel fastest in rain-soaked second practice

Budapest, July 17: Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel posted the fastest time for Ferrari in a rain-soaked second practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday (July 17). He was .272 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and 1.32 clear of McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr. as teeming rain fell throughout the afternoon on the Hungaroring track.

Defending F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who was fastest in the first practice for Mercedes, was one of seven drivers not to post a time in the second session. Lance Stroll was fourth fastest and his Racing Point teammate Sergio Pérez, who slid right off the wet circuit at one point, was fifth.

Racing Point uses Mercedes engines and has shown good speed this season. Earlier Friday, Hamilton was .086 seconds quicker than Bottas and .527 seconds ahead of Pérez. That performance was even more impressive considering he was using a slower hard tire compound.

Pérez, meanwhile, went off track briefly after his right front tire started to shred. Ferrari lacked pace in the morning, with Vettel and his teammate Charles Leclerc both more than one second behind Hamilton's leading time.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who was eighth quickest behind the two Ferraris, made an angry hand gesture and ranted at Williams driver Nicholas Latifi after being blocked by him. The Mercedes drivers have won one race each from pole position this season. Bottas won the season-opening Austrian GP and Hamilton clinched the Styrian GP in Austria last Sunday for his 85th F1 win.

(AP)