Verstappen: Gap to Hamilton in FP2 not representative because of tow on straight

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen claims the gap between himself and pacesetter Lewis Hamilton in FP2, which was just over three-tenths, was exaggerated, as the Brit got a big tow on the back straight which boosted his lap.

After leading the way in FP1, Verstappen finished the second practice session of the day in third place, losing out to Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, with the latter beating the Dutchman by a mere 0.014 seconds.

To the naked eye, it might seem like Hamilton is simply the quickest track at COTA, but Verstappen added a caveat to the Brit's lap time.

“Lewis had a tow on the back straight so it’s not really [representative], the lap time," the 22-year-old was quoted by RaceFans.net. "I think it’s smaller."

The gap between himself and Leclerc was extremely small in qualifying trim, but the Dutchman's long-run pace was several tenths better during FP2 - almost half a second, in fact. Still, the seven-time Grand Prix winner wasn't happy.

“The long runs I think I was not entirely happy, we can still do a little bit better. But this track is very aggressive on tyres as well.

"So, I think if we can keep the tyres under the control then suddenly everything looks a lot better. But overall a good start to the weekend.”