Despite the dire conditions, there was thankfully still plenty of track action during the first practice session ahead of the 2018 Italian Grand Prix, as conditions improved for the second practice session at the Monza circuit. It was overcast but dry since the end of the first season, which meant that the track was able to dry out somewhat, leading to more representative running on slick tyres in P2.
Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson walked away from a huge accident during second practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The Swedish driver lost control of his car immediately after hitting the brakes at 220mph and smashed into the crash barrier lining the left side of the circuit on the run down to Turn 1. The accident happened at the fastest section of the track — which is also one of the fastest points on the F1 calendar — making for dramatic pictures as the Sauber rolled three times before coming to a halt in the run-off at Turn 1. Video replays showed that the DRS slot on the rear wing of the Sauber remained open and could have been a contributing factor to the accident.
Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen went on the supersofts and softs for the qualifying and race simulations. At the end of the practice session, Sebastian Vettel finished with the best lap time of the day (1’21″105), while his Finnish teammate was close behind in second place (1:21.375). Over a single lap Ferrari seem to have the pace over Mercedes, which looks promising ahead of the qualifying session on Saturday. However, with just 30 minutes before the end of the session, just as Sebastian looked set to improve on his benchmark again, he spins at the parabolica – a corner which drivers have struggled on today – and spins into the barriers. It was a light hit tough, and fortunately Vettel was able to keep his engine on as he drove back to the pits.
FP2 Results – 2018 Italian Grand Prix
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