Summary

  • Ferrari's Vettel fastest, Raikkonen second, Hamilton third

  • Sauber's Ericsson in huge accident as DRS fails

  • Car somersaults multiple times - Ericsson says he's 'OK'

  • F1 2019 draft calendar released - season set to finish on 1 December

  • German GP included at Hockenheim; Suzuka signs Japanese GP contract until 2021

  1. Thanks and goodbyepublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    And that is your lot for today. We will be back at 10:30 BST on Saturday for third practice and then qualifying.

    Thanks as always for your company today and hope to see you all back here tomorrow.

  2. Vettel fastest after huge Ericsson crash - read the reportpublished at 15:46 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer at Monza

    Marcus Ericsson's Sauber after a huge crash in Italian GP second practiceImage source, AFP

    Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel set the pace in second practice at the Italian Grand Prix despite a high-speed spin. The German, 17 points behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in the championship, lost control at the famous Parabolica corner at the end of an impressive run.

    Hamilton was third fastest, behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and 0.287 seconds slower than Vettel. There was a huge accident for Sauber's Marcus Ericsson, who somersaulted several times at the first chicane.

    His DRS overtaking aid did not shut as intended when the Swede hit the brakes. Ericsson was uninjured but the DRS continued to be an intermittent problem for his team-mate Charles Leclerc for the first part of the session.

    Hamilton made errors on his fastest laps, running slightly wide at the second chicane a couple of times, so the absolute pace of the Mercedes was not revealed.

  3. Listen to Alonso's full interview at 21:30 BSTpublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    BBC Radio 5 live

    You can listen to Fernando Alonso's full interview with our chief Formula 1 writer Andrew Benson on BBC Radio 5 live from 21:30 BST tonight.

    To see the written piece, click here.

  4. F1 becoming too predictable - Alonsopublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    You may have seen earlier on that we have an exclusive interview with Fernando Alonso across the BBC today.

    Watch as the two-time F1 world champion says the sport is becoming too predictable and that only two teams are fighting for the title.

    Media caption,

    Fernando Alonso - F1 becoming too predictable

  5. How they finished in FP2published at 15:37 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    1. Vettel
    2. Raikkonen
    3. Hamilton
    4. Bottas
    5. Verstappen
    6. Ricciardo
    7. Ocon
    8. Perez
    9. Leclerc
    10. Hulkenberg
    11. Grosjean
    12. Sainz
    13. Magnussen
    14. Gasly
    15. Sirotkin
    16. Hartley
    17. Stroll
    18. Alonso
    19. Vandoorne
    20. Ericsson (no time)
    Final practice twoImage source, .
  6. Vettel fastest in second sessionpublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 31 August 2018
    Breaking

    It is Ferrari's home race and it is a one-two for them with Sebastian Vettel finishing more than two tenths faster than team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    Then come the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton in third and Valtteri Bottas in fourth with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo fifth and sixth respectively.

    Vettel did slide off at Parabolica, but escaped with only minor damage to his car. The same can't be said for Marcus Ericsson, who was involved in a hugely spectacular incident that saw him smash into a wall and then roll a number of times. Luckily he is OK. His car is not.

    Sebastian VettelImage source, Reuters
  7. Race winners...published at 15:28 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    Only four men have won a race this year... Will we see someone new take the glory on Sunday?

    Race winsImage source, .
  8. Postpublished at 15:27 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    Valtteri Bottas skips a corner, but nothing to get excited about. Sebastian Vettel, after that minor damage to his rear wing when he slid off and bumped into the barrier at Parabolica, is back out there and going to be the quickest in this session.

    Valtteri BottasImage source, Getty Images
  9. The Temple of Speedpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

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  10. How they standpublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    So with eight races left in the 2018 season, this is how it sits in the drivers' championship.

    Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel are looking very good to end the weekend closer to Lewis Hamilton than the 17-point margin there is at the moment.

    Drivers championshipImage source, .
  11. Postpublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    Brendon Hartley's mechanics are having a look at his Toro Rosso. Sixteenth this session for him.

  12. How they stand with 10 minutes to gopublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    1. Vettel 1:21.105
    2. Raikkonen 1:21.375
    3. Hamilton 1:21.392
    4. Bottas 1:21.803
    5. Verstappen 1:22.154
    6. Ricciardo 1:22.296
    7. Ocon 1:22.930
    8. Perez 1:22.942
    9. Hulkenberg 1:23.063
    10. Grosjean 1:23.077
    11. Sainz 1:23.193
    12. Magnussen 1:23.233
    13. Gasly 1:23.402
    14. Leclerc 1:23.454
    15. Sirotkin 1:23.514
    16. Hartley 1:23.531
    17. Stroll 1:23.566
    18. Alonso 1:23.741
    19. Vandoorne 1:24.084
    20. Ericsson (no time)

    Supersofts all round, apart from Leclerc on the softs

  13. Remember to turnpublished at 15:15 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

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    A few drivers today have had to use their slalom skills to get around these..

  14. Postpublished at 15:12 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    Charles Leclerc is the only one to have set a fastest lap on the softs and he has bumped himself up to 14th, ahead of the two Williams and the two McLarens.

  15. 'Checking for damage'published at 15:11 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

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  16. Time for some long runspublished at 15:08 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

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  17. Postpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    Charles Leclerc wants confirmation that the DRS is working as it should be. He gets a positive answer and he finally sets a time of 1:24.385, slowest of the 19 to set a time. Marcus Ericsson will be sitting out the rest of this session after that earlier high-impact smash.

  18. Postpublished at 15:04 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    A little crack in the rear wing is the damage for Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari, but that could have been a lot, lot worse.

  19. Vettel spins offpublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 31 August 2018

    At Parabolica Sebastian Vettel is on a storming lap, but he loses it, slides backwards a long way across the track, through the gravel and gently kisses the barrier. Luckily for Vettel the barrier is not close to the track and he had slowed down a lot before a little bump into the barrier.

    "Tyres should be OK," says Vettel.

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