Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the leaderboard on Day 2 of running in Barcelona, a day that was punctuated by two red flags caused by separate incidents for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Haas’s Nikita Mazepin.
Max Verstappen secured his maiden World Championship with victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton finishing second as the race ended in a nail-biting one-lap sprint after a late Safety Car. The result, which saw Valtteri Bottas finish sixth and Sergio Perez retire, means Mercedes have clinched a record eighth consecutive constructors’ championship.
Sergio Perez has brought a brand-new helmet design for his home race – the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix – as he prepares for a maiden Mexico appearance with Red Bull. Williams' George Russell and Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel have brought one-off designs too.
Sergio Perez sparked hopes of a Red Bull resurgence as he went fastest in second practice at the Circuit of The Americas, but team mate Max Verstappen failed to set a flying lap having got caught up in traffic. That left McLaren's Lando Norris second and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton third fastest.