Vettel quickest in Malaysia GP FP2

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in second practice at the Malaysian GP, with championship leader Lewis Hamilton well off the pace.

Vettel set a fastest lap time of 1:31.261, finishing six-tenths of a second clear of Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari SF70H.

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were third and fourth in the Red Bulls, while Fernando Alonso was a surprise fifth for McLaren. 

Mercedes were expected to thrive on the fast-paced Sebang International Circuit track, but Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas finished sixth and seventh, over 1.4 seconds off the pace. 

Both drivers struggled for grip, with Hamilton spinning his car through the gravel at Turn 8 and Bottas damaging the underside of his car after sliding off the track at Turn 11.

The session ended early when Haas' driver Romain Grosjean crashed after his car hit a dislodged drain cover on the kerb of Turn 13.

Earlier,  Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo set the pace in wet conditions during the first practice session with a Red Bull one-two.

The Dutchman finished 0.757 seconds clear of his Australian team-mate at Sepang, while McLaren's Fernando Alonso was placed third.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel finished fourth and fifth, ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton in sixth.

Hamilton leads Vettel by 28 points in the drivers' championship with six races of the season to go, following the Briton's three successive victories in Belgium, Italy and Singapore.

The Malaysia Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit will be shown live over the weekend of 29 September-1 October on eir Sport in Ireland. The race is live on eir Sport 1 on Sunday, 1 October [race time 8am]

Photo Getty Images/Lars Baron

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