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Championship leader Lewis Hamilton put aside his concerns for Jules Bianchi and produced a dazzling lap to top the times in Friday’s second free practice session ahead of this weekend’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix.
The 29-year-old Briton, who was second fastest behind his Mercedes team-mate and title rival German Nico Rosberg in the morning’s opening session, wound up quickest in the afternoon with a dominant lap in one minute and 39.630 seconds.
This was eight-tenths of a second faster than the chasing pack led by Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen of McLaren and made Hamilton the only man to break the 1:40 barrier at the newly built track in the Olympic Park close to the Black Sea resort.
Red Bull struggled, with a power failure consigning Daniel Ricciardo to 13th while defending world champion Sebastian Vettel placed ninth.
“It wasn’t easy to get into the car this morning,” Hamilton said, referring to the paddock’s sombre mood and feelings for injured Frenchman Bianchi, who remained in intensive care in hospital in Japan. “But this afternoon, I felt more comfortable.”
Two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso was third for Ferrari ahead of Rosberg, Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams and Briton Jenson Button in the second McLaren.
Five days after Bianchi’s shocking accident at the rain-lashed Japanese Grand Prix, where he suffered severe head injuries when his Marussia car collided with a recovery vehicle, all of the drivers wore ‘Tous Avec Jules’ stickers on their helmets in support of the absent Frenchman.
Bianchi, 25, remained in intensive care in hospital in Yokkaichi and his Marussia team chose not to run a second driver in his place at Sochi in a sign of respect.
“Of course, it is tough,” added Hamilton. “But it was good. It felt good and the grip improved as the track ‘rubbered’ in. The car felt good today and for me the track had a nice flow. I really enjoyed it.”
Brazilian Felipe Massa, who had described last Sunday’s Japanese event as “the worst race of my life”, was seventh in the second Williams ahead of Red Bull-bound local hero Russian Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and the man he is due to replace, four-time champion German Vettel.
Job-hunting Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne was 10th for Toro Rosso, turning in another impressive day’s work as he seeks a new seat for 2015 after being released by his current outfit.
The session was interrupted with seven minutes remaining when Australian Ricciardo suffered an engine failure in his Red Bull.
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