After Canada the FP2-to-Qualifying multipliers have been updated as above:
They proved to be fairly accurate in Montreal with eight teams correctly predicted to 0.2 seconds and two teams bang on:
Here are the predictions for Saturday’s qualifying session in Baku: They’ll probably all be half a second or so faster because this is a new track and there is GP2 support to help evolve the surface but the gaps between the teams will remain the same.
| Team | Fastest Qualifying time |
| Mercedes | 1:42.4 |
| Force India | 1:43.4 |
| Williams | 1:43.5 |
| Red Bull | 1:43.9 |
| Ferrari | 1:44.3 |
| Toro Rosso | 1:44.6 |
| Haas | 1:44.8 |
| McLaren | 1:45.1 |
| Manor | 1:46.0 |
| Renault | 1:46.1 |
| Sauber | 1:46.2 |
The period teams spent practicing long runs was heavily disrupted by yellow flags where drivers made errors, Ferrari breaking down and the Marshalls not knowing how to put Rosberg’s car into neutral or steer it.
Even so, only Alonso and Ericsson didn’t manage a long run stint of at least three laps. The graphs below have colour-coded markers to represent the tyre used for the stint. Yellow represents Soft and red signifies the Supersoft.
First, we’ll look at the top 12 contenders and then the rest.
Sergio Perez (unlabeled) is the line second from bottom (green & yellow).
Lewis Hamilton doesn’t usually have better long run pace than Rosberg in FP2 even if he’s convincingly faster in the race. To be such a long way behind in practice should concern the Championship leader. Hamilton is dominant.
Another man on a mission is Sergio Perez. Running the soft compound and less fuel he splits the Mercedes duo. His Force India teammate Hulkenberg ran the supersoft on a full tank like most and ends up in 4th place of the alike runners at the end of lap six.
Williams split their running. Bottas on the supersoft and Massa on the soft tyres. Massa’s stint is just four laps and shadows Bottas’ stint almost completely (Yellow markers just visible behind Bottas). Bottas has looked much stronger than his older teammate for once this season!
Toro Rosso are the fastest non-Mercedes-powered team it would seem on race pace. A solid 6th and 7th according to the lap times.
Behind them is Ferrari. The Scuderia trail only Mercedes in the final sector (comprising of one corner and a drag strip) but struggling everywhere else it seems. Raikkonen’s pace on the soft tyre looks to be on high fuel which hints Ferrari might set their fastest time in qualifying two on this tyre so they can start on it.
Red Bull… Three seconds per lap off Hamilton. Bleeding time heavily throughout the lap, not just on the straights. A lot of progress to be made tomorrow.
Alonso didn’t have a meaningful long run in FP2 but Button shows McLaren are the team who will pick pieces should the cars further up hit trouble. Button has been the stronger of the McLaren duo on Friday again as always, however, Alonso usually steps ahead on Saturday and Sunday.
Haas closely follow McLaren. Gutierrez is in no state to drive an F1 car at the moment because of illness which, as reported by Sky, is worsened by driving, but is able to stay competitive.
If Wehrlein’s stint was on lower fuel then Renault are ahead in the Renault/Manor/Sauber battle at the back. Manor haven’t lived up to their “Rocketship” reputation so far on this high-speed circuit.
To conclude: Hamilton looks unstoppable, Hulkenberg has a chance of his first podium and neither Max or Ricciardo has experience here so it will be interesting to compare. We might even see a new lap record.
