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Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton proves fastest in practice at Belgian Grand Prix Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton proves fastest in practice at Belgian Grand Prix
(about 2 hours later)
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg shared the honours across the first two practice sessions at Spa, with the British driver taking bragging rights going into Saturday’s qualifying with an advantage of six tenths of a second over his Mercedes team-mate.Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg shared the honours across the first two practice sessions at Spa, with the British driver taking bragging rights going into Saturday’s qualifying with an advantage of six tenths of a second over his Mercedes team-mate.
Hamilton clocked a time of 1min 49.189sec in the second practice over the German’s 1:49.793. Rosberg had been quickest in first practice setting a time of 1:51.724, but one that was only quicker than Hamilton by nine hundreths of a second. Hamilton clocked 1min 49.189sec in the second practice over the German’s 1:49.793. Rosberg had been quicker in first practice with 1:51.724 but Hamilton was only nine hundreths of a second behind.
The pair topped the field in both practice sessions (the second interrupted by two red flags after a spin by Esteban Gutiérrez’s and after Pastor Maldonado crashed) exchanging fastest times at the head of the leaderboard. The pair topped the field in both sessions (the second interrupted by two red flags after a spin by Esteban Gutiérrez and after Pastor Maldonado crashed) exchanging fastest times at the head of the leaderboard.
Mercedes’s dominance of the first half of the season looked to have receded somewhat on F1’s return to racing after the summer break, however. Mercedes’ dominance of the first half of the season looked to have receded somewhat on F1’s return to racing after the summer break, however.
Ferrari have brought a new low-downforce aero package to Spa and Fernando Alonso immediately put it to use, finishing FP1 in third, just two tenths down on Rosberg. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen managed fifth place behind the McLaren of Jenson Button, but was over a second back from Alonso. Ferrari have brought a new low-downforce aero package to Spa and Fernando Alonso immediately put it to use, finishing first practice in third, only a fifth of a second down on Rosberg. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen managed fifth place behind the McLaren of Jenson Button but was over a second back from Alonso.
The Spaniard was third in second practice seven tenths back, and Williams, who will be expecting a good performance on this low-downforce track will be heartened by fourth and sixth place in FP2, for Felipe Massa and Valterri Bottas respectively, the pair split by Button’s McLaren. The Spaniard was third in second practice seven tenths back and Williams, who will be expecting a good performance on this low-downforce track, will be heartened by fourth and sixth places in second practice, for Felipe Massa and Valterri Bottas respectively, the pair split by Button’s McLaren.
Sérgio Perez confirmed that Force India also seemed to have moved on during the mid-season interval with sixth place in FP1, ahead of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg. Sérgio Perez confirmed that Force India also seemed to have moved on during the mid-season interval with sixth place in first practice, ahead of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg.
Red Bull suffered however; Daniel Ricciardo could only make it to ninth and eighth on the time sheets but his team-mate, the four-times world champion, Sebastian Vettel, restarted the second half of his season with the same misfortune that peppered the first half. He went wide at Pouhon, had gearbox problems and ultimately had to retire to the garage with exhaust failure in the first session and then missed the entire second with an electrical problem that forced the team to change the engine. Red Bull suffered, however; Daniel Ricciardo could make it to ninth and eighth on the time sheets but his team-mate, the four-times world champion, Sebastian Vettel, restarted the second half of his season with the same misfortune that peppered the first half. He went wide at Pouhon, had gearbox problems and ultimately had to retire to the garage with exhaust failure in the first session and then missed the entire second with an electrical problem that forced the team to change the engine.
André Lotterer, the 32-year-old three-times Le Mans winner, making his F1 debut in what at the moment is a one-off race for the Caterham team, soon put his considerable sports car racing skills into practice, beating team-mate Marcus Ericsson in the first practice and finishing only a tenth back from him in the second. André Lotterer, the 32-year-old three-times Le Mans winner, making his F1 debut in what at the moment is a one-off race for the Caterham team, soon put his considerable sports car racing skills into practice, beating his team-mate, Marcus Ericsson, in the first practice and finishing only a tenth back from him in the second.