Australian GP: Williams Martini off the pace in FP2

Team Summary:
The opening Friday practice would see Williams Martini drivers Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll finish in twelfth and fifteenth. But the second Friday session should give a better indication of their true pace. There would be a mix of tyres been used as drivers came out with both Williams drivers on the ultrasoft tyre for their first runs. The first quickest time, set on the soft tyre, was a 1m:25.566. The times would come down with a 1m:24.719 the new quickest but this would change quickly. A 1m:24.569 set on the supersoft tyre would be the new quickest.

After their first timed laps the Williams drivers were in ninth and thirteenth, with Lance ahead of Sergey. This would become eleventh and fifteenth with both Williams drivers appearing to be on longer runs on the ultrasoft tyre. A new quickest time of a 1m:24.385 set on the supersoft tyre. With just over an hour remaining the Williams drivers were twelfth and fourteenth. Robert Kubica would say that the balance of the FW41 was better than that seen in testing. Drivers started to come out for ultrasoft tyre runs with a new quickest time coming with a 1m:23.931.

With thirty minutes remaining the Williams drivers were fourteenth and eighteenth after their quick runs. Now it was time for the longer race simulation runs from the various teams with lap times now in the 1m:28s through to the 1m:29s. At this time Lance was 0.4 ahead of team-mate Sergey. Under fifteen minutes remaining and the Williams drivers had pitted to switch to different tyres with Lance on the soft and Sergey the supersoft. Both Williams drivers were setting times in the high 1m:29s through to 1m:30s. The session would come to an end with the Williams drivers finishing in fourteenth and eighteenth. The second session would see the Williams drivers drop down the order but in the second half of the field the margins were so close. But Lance would show his experience over Sergey been able to finish 0.431 ahead of his team-mate.

Lance Stroll:
lance would be the first out for Williams in the second session running on the ultrasoft tyre. Lance would set a 1m:26.324 on his first flying lap which would see him currently eighth. He would drop to ninth then twelfth. Lance would pit after a seven lap run. For Lance he would come back out on a new set of ultrasoft tyres but his run would be ruined when the session was red flagged due to debris on the track. lance would have dropped to sixteenth but he would still be able to complete the quicker run if he felt it was necessary. With the session restart Lance would come straight back out and was on a quick lap straight away. Lance would set a 1m:25.543 to be eleventh but he would drop to fourteenth.

Lance would pit after his run and after a short stop would return still on the used ultrasoft tyre. He would complete a ten lap run on the ultrasoft tyre pitting to take on the soft tyre. He would complete a fifteen lap run going through to the end of the session. But his session would have issues right at the end after he complete a practice start which would see him told to change modes on the car to an engine saving one and then to stop the car on his way back to his pit.

Sergey Sirotkin:
Sergey would follow his team-mate out also using the ultrasoft tyre. Sergey would set a 1m:26.837 to be twelfth then down to fifteenth. Sergey was able to find time with a 1m:26.590 to now be fourteenth. He would also pit having completed an eight lap run. After a stop in his pit Sergey would come back out on a new set of ultrasoft tyres. Sergey would improve with a 1m:26.165 to now be fifteenth and one place ahead of his team-mate. Sergey was able to improve with a 1m:25.974 to be thirteenth. But Sergey would drop to eighteenth as he started a longer run on the ultrasoft tyre. Sergey would complete fourteen laps on the ultrasoft tyre switching to the supersoft for his next run. Sergey would complete a fourteen lap run on the supersoft tyre going through to the end of the session.