Bottas and Grosjean collide but Finn tops FP2
by Joseph TyrrellValtteri Bottas topped a quiet free practice 2 session in Abu Dhabi, followed by his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in third. The Finn topped FP1 earlier in the day and he continued his control at the Yas Marina Circuit.`
Bottas set the best time of 1:36.256 to top the timesheets in FP2 as Mercedes made it a one-two shut out in Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton was a further xxx back but it established the Silver Arrows' dominance on the weekend.
It wasn't all plain sailing for Bottas however, as he collided with Romain Grosjean in a bizarre incident. The Finn went for an overtake at turn 11, but Grosjean decided not to back off and turned into Bottas, bringing an end to both their sessions. It brought about a lengthy red flag as the marshalls cleared the debris.
Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were third and fifth, occupying the second row. Ferrari will be hoping to end the season on a high after the debacle in Brazil, however, it looks like they'll have to get by at least both Mercedes'. The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon finished the session fifth and sixth.
Despite the collision, Romain Grosjean still finished the session seventh, with Sergio Perez, Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten. It was good early signs for Toro Rosso as they aim to beat Renault in the Constructors' Championship.