Track action finished at 4am local time on Friday morning, three hours later than scheduled, after a delay caused by the need to inspect and make secure all the water valve covers around the track.
This followed the curtailment of FP1 after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz struck a cover at high speed, which had been torn loose by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine, wrecking the underside of his car.
Domenicali and Wilms stressed that the decision to press on and run FP2 “was supported by all parties to ensure the sporting integrity of the remainder of the event,” while thanking drivers and teams for their patience.
Regarding the controversial matter of spectators being ejected from the venue an hour before the delayed FP2 session finally started, they confirmed that it was a result of staffing issues, mainly related to the hours that security and transportation workers were legally able to remain on duty.
Source: Autosport