The Mercedes driver was second fastest, a tenth slower than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, in the early running when both were using medium-compound Pirellis.
He was the first of the frontrunners to post a qualifying simulation time, setting a time of 1m36.256s on his first flier in the floodlit session.
That was enough to give him top spot by 0.310s from teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the …Keep reading
