By: Myanna Wedes.

The second session of Formula 1 on Friday was totally different to the first session with cars pushing the limits, the bumps causing the drivers to succumb to spins and Lewis Hamilton laying down his expertise on track. It was a battle for the fastest lap times between Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Charles Leclerc. There were close calls with tyres hitting the walls, sparks flying, slides and a steamy weather pattern whereby the drivers were being physically tested.

The gap between Hamilton and Verstappen is very close and they are definitely sending subtle hints to one another. The difference +0.184. The Mercedes team will be satisfied with the performance of laps by Hamilton especially since they were worried about the Ferrari and Red Bull pace. Right now, the silver arrows is throwing a spanner in to the plan of Verstappen which is nice to see because it means we are in for a qualifying showdown between those two rivals. The brakes for certain cars were red hot and dust a key factor as they went in and out of the corners. Mastering Singapore is one important challenge and Hamilton loves it. Watching him trackside showcased commitment and passion to finding the perfect lap and set up. Regardless of the bumps and hearing the cars hit bottom, they were pushing. Vettel looked good out on track and as we have heard across the weekend, do not write him off just yet. The German driver is reserved and feeling good considering his season of massive highs and major lows. We are looking forward to seeing what strategy Vettel will carry out in competition to his teammate who did experience a lack of performance in the first session though recovered quite well in FP2.

Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo was outperformed by his teammate Nico Hulkenberg which is interesting considering the optimism of Ricciardo at the press conference. Some may say, the “Hulk” has everything to prove. He must drive his heart out to secure a drive for 2020 and not be in another series walking away from a sport that he truly loves. If anything, the extra motivation is there which is excellent to see considering how highly everyone speaks of the Hulk and the fact that he has never really reached his full potential. Could a result at Singapore push him to the next level and allow him to grow. We must see what transpires and if Ricciardo can take it to him to ensure his car is ready for attack at this circuit and also in leading up to next years season.

As you walk around the circuit and watch the cars, you can see who is comfortable and those who are still trying to find the limit. It will be a fine line in qualifying to ensure track position is achieved and the strategy is carried out to plan. Who do you have your money on to take number one?

POS	NO	DRIVER	CAR	TIME	GAP	LAPS
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	MERCEDES	1:38.773		29
2	33	Max Verstappen	RED BULL RACING HONDA	1:38.957	+0.184s	29
3	5	Sebastian Vettel	FERRARI	1:39.591	+0.818s	31
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	MERCEDES	1:39.894	+1.121s	30
5	23	Alexander Albon	RED BULL RACING HONDA	1:39.943	+1.170s	30
6	16	Charles Leclerc	FERRARI	1:40.018	+1.245s	31
7	55	Carlos Sainz	MCLAREN RENAULT	1:40.145	+1.372s	33
8	27	Nico Hulkenberg	RENAULT	1:40.324	+1.551s	30
9	4	Lando Norris	MCLAREN RENAULT	1:40.361	+1.588s	35
10	10	Pierre Gasly	SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO HONDA	1:40.637	+1.864s	32
11	26	Daniil Kvyat	SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO HONDA	1:40.713	+1.940s	32
12	3	Daniel Ricciardo	RENAULT	1:40.811	+2.038s	30
13	11	Sergio Perez	RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES	1:40.875	+2.102s	29
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI	1:41.128	+2.355s	35
15	18	Lance Stroll	RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES	1:41.128	+2.355s	31
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI	1:41.232	+2.459s	28
17	8	Romain Grosjean	HAAS FERRARI	1:41.392	+2.619s	26
18	63	George Russell	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:41.445	+2.672s	35
19	20	Kevin Magnussen	HAAS FERRARI	1:41.564	+2.791s	30
20	88	Robert Kubica	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:42.177	+3.404s	35