WHAT WE LEARNED FROM FP1 AND FP2
* During a heatwave throughout Europe, temperatures at Hockenheim were among the highest ever seen, peaking at 58 degrees centigrade track temperature, with more than 40 degrees ambient.
* These very high temperatures enhanced thermal degradation on the tyres: however the fastest times were still set on the soft compound in FP2.
* As usual, there was a high degree of track evolution, but the situation improved in FP2 with more rubber laid down. The afternoon session was interrupted by a red flag with 15 minutes to go.
Ferrari was fastest in both sessions today, but it’s unclear how representative today’s conditions will be – as the weather for the rest of the weekend is expected to be cooler, with a risk of rain.
* Despite the punishing conditions, even the softest compounds stood up well to the extreme temperatures, combining both performance and durability during all the qualifying and race simulations.
* All three compounds were used extensively today and all are likely to figure prominently in the race. There’s currently a performance gap of around 0.6 seconds between soft and medium, with a slightly smaller gap between medium and hard.

MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR RACING
“There’s currently a performance gap of around 0.6 seconds between soft and medium, with a slightly smaller gap between medium and hard. The overriding characteristic of today was intense heat, with track temperatures well in excess of 55 degrees centigrade, which were among the highest we have ever seen in Formula 1. This meant that the drivers had to look after the rear tyres in particular, but in spite of the extreme heat, all three compounds coped well with the conditions: even the soft, which set fastest time today. All three compounds look well-suited to the track and the current conditions, but it’s hard to know exactly how the weather will evolve over the rest of the weekend – with some rain expected from tomorrow. If that’s the case, as happened last year too, then it will lend yet another interesting element to a weekend that’s already proving quite hard to predict, with close gaps among the frontrunners”

FREE PRACTICE 1 – TOP 3 TIMES
DRIVER		TIME		COMPOUND
Vettel		1m14.013s	SOFT C4 NEW
Leclerc		1m14.268s	SOFT C4 NEW
Hamilton	1m14.315s	MEDIUM C3 NEW

FREE PRACTICE 2 – TOP 3 TIMES
DRIVER		TIME		COMPOUND
Leclerc		1m13.449s	SOFT C4 NEW
Vettel		1m13.573s	SOFT C4 NEW
Hamilton	1m13.595s	SOFT C4 NEW

FP1 - BEST TIME BY COMPOUND
COMPOUND	DRIVER		TIME
HARD C2		Sainz		1m16.611s
MEDIUM C3	Hamilton	1m14.315s
SOFT C4		Vettel		1m14.013s

FP2 - BEST TIME BY COMPOUND
COMPOUND	DRIVER		TIME
HARD C2		Bottas		1m14.467s
MEDIUM C3	Hamilton	1m14.074s
SOFT C4		Leclerc		1m13.449s

MOST LAPS BY COMPOUND SO FAR
COMPOUND	DRIVER		LAPS
HARD C2		Kvyat, Norris	22
MEDIUM C3	Hamilton	20
SOFT C4		Grosjean	20

TYRE STATISTICS OF THE DAY
 			HARD	MEDIUM	SOFT
Kms driven*		805	1445	2909
Sets used overall**	11	23	46

* The above number gives the total amount of kilometres
driven in FP1 and FP2 today, all drivers combined.
** Per compound, all drivers combined.