Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Max Verstapped sets pace in FP2

Second practice: Top three

1 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 43.362secs
2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:43.462
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:43.473 

Scroll down for full practice times

Second practice report

Lewis Hamilton finished only 10th in second practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Fernando Alonso succumbed to further engine woes.

Hamilton, who trails title leader Sebastian Vettel by 12 points ahead of the eighth round of the championship here in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku, was fifth in the opening session.

And the Briton could manage only 10th later in the day as Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped the order while Vettel finished fifth.

Hamilton's time - he finished 1.1 seconds adrift of Verstappen and one second slower than his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas - is slightly skewed because the triple world champion did not post a lap on the super-soft tyre, the quickest of the three Pirelli compounds available this weekend, after Jolyon Palmer crashed into the wall at turn eight.

Palmer's incident, midway through the 90-minute session, resulted in the action being temporarily suspended as they removed the under-fire Briton's mangled Renault and the ensuing debris.

It was another day to forget for Palmer, with the 26-year-old facing mounting speculation that he could soon be replaced, and so too for Alonso after his Honda engine conked out with 30 minutes remaining.

Alonso, who is already due to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid following a series of engine penalties, launched his headrest out of his McLaren as he ground to a halt.

"Engine, engine," the frustrated Spaniard said. McLaren are the only team yet to score a point this season and their relationship with Honda is now at an all-time low.

Palmer's crash and Alonso's demise were one of several talking points of a chaotic session at this street circuit which runs against the picturesque backdrop of the old city's walls.

While Palmer thudded the barrier at turn eight, he was not the only driver to struggle with the narrowest piece of asphalt on the Formula One calendar.

The twisty section which measures just 7.8 metres wide saw Vettel take to the escape road on a number of occasions after missing his breaking point, and in fear of a costly collision with the barriers.

And, although Verstappen set the fastest times in both sessions on Friday, the Dutchman ended the afternoon in the wall at turn one on an otherwise impressive day for his Red Bull team. With just minutes of the session remaining, the 19-year-old lost control of his car under braking and span into the nearside barrier.

Elsewhere, Daniel Ricciardo was third in the sister Red Bull, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen fourth. Sergio Perez, who crashed out of the opening session, was seventh fastest for Force India.

Second practice times:

1 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 43.362secs
2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:43.462
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:43.473
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:43.489
5 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:43.615
6 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.113
7 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:44.306
8 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:44.321
9 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:44.484
10 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:44.525
11 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:44.609
12 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:45.515
13 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:45.733
14 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:45.831
15 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:46.003
16 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:46.061
17 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:46.174
18 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:47.150
19 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:47.347
20 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:47.722