The second practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered high drama and thrilling performances, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topping the timesheets. Despite initial car issues, Leclerc set the fastest lap, beating Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to lead FP2.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2: Early Drama for Leclerc
Charles Leclerc began FP2 with some early concerns, narrowly avoiding disaster at the infamous Turn 15. Over the radio, Leclerc reported that his Ferrari “is bent somewhere,” expressing frustration as his team couldn’t identify any issues in the data. Despite these troubles, the Monegasque driver managed to recover and, in typical fashion, quickly found his pace.
Meanwhile, his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz survived a brush with the wall at Turn 1, showcasing the unforgiving nature of Baku’s street circuit. Other drivers, including Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, also had narrow escapes, with Verstappen locking up and coming dangerously close to the barriers at Turn 5.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2: Sainz Leads Early Running, Perez and Hamilton Close Behind
As the session got underway, drivers quickly racked up laps on Pirelli’s hard, medium, and soft tire compounds. It was Sainz who initially led the timesheets with a 1m 44.323s lap on medium tires, narrowly beating two-time Baku winner Sergio Perez, who was also on the same compound.
Lewis Hamilton, on the hard tires, wasn’t far behind, though he trailed by six-tenths in the early running. With tire strategies playing a key role in the session, drivers balanced their pace with the need to conserve tires for later in the weekend.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2: Drivers Switch to Softs for Qualifying-Style Runs
At the 20-minute mark, drivers began switching to the soft compound tires, and the pace of the session ramped up as they embarked on qualifying-style runs. Sainz was the first to drop into the 1m 43s bracket, clocking a 1m 43.950s to stay ahead of Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll, Hamilton, and Perez.
One notable performance came from Haas’s young stand-in driver, Ollie Bearman, who delivered a remarkable lap to sit in seventh. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris seemed on course for a rapid lap, but was forced to back out due to the slow-moving Alpine of Pierre Gasly, who apologized over the radio after struggling with battery issues.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2: Perez Takes the Lead, Leclerc Battles Back
Sergio Perez responded with a strong lap, taking over the top spot with a 1m 43.490s. The Mexican driver, known for his skill on street circuits, looked in fine form as he edged ahead of the field.
Replays showed several drivers continuing to push their limits, including Verstappen, Sainz, and Leclerc, all of whom had moments of oversteer and lock-ups. Rookie Franco Colapinto also had an incident, but it was Leclerc who grabbed the spotlight again. Despite his earlier issues, the Ferrari driver managed to put together a stunning final lap, posting a 1m 43.484s to retake the lead from Perez.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2: Hamilton, Sainz, and Piastri Shine in Competitive Session
Leclerc’s late charge pushed Perez down to second, while Lewis Hamilton improved to third with a solid lap. Sainz, despite another off-track moment at Turn 7, finished fourth, just ahead of Oscar Piastri, who continued to impress in his McLaren. Verstappen, who had been struggling with balance, ended the session in sixth place.
Lance Stroll was the fastest of the Aston Martins, finishing seventh, while George Russell’s session was disrupted by an engine change that left him out of sync with the rest of the field. Russell ended up 10th, sandwiched between Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Ollie Bearman.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2: Mixed Results for Alpine and Williams
It was a tough session for Alpine, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finishing 18th and 19th, respectively. Ocon’s car had undergone a power unit change after suffering from MGU-H issues in FP1, but it did little to improve his performance in the second session. Williams drivers Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto were also towards the lower end of the timesheets, with Albon finishing 13th and Colapinto 14th.
Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 – Practice 2
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:43.484 | 20 | |
| 2 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:43.490 | +0.006s | 23 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:43.550 | +0.066s | 22 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:43.950 | +0.466s | 25 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:43.983 | +0.499s | 25 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:44.029 | +0.545s | 24 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:44.093 | +0.609s | 24 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:44.475 | +0.991s | 24 |
| 9 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:44.536 | +1.052s | 16 |
| 10 | 50 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:44.547 | +1.063s | 24 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:44.645 | +1.161s | 24 |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:44.683 | +1.199s | 25 |
| 13 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:44.737 | +1.253s | 25 |
| 14 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 1:44.749 | +1.265s | 23 |
| 15 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:44.785 | +1.301s | 24 |
| 16 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:45.056 | +1.572s | 26 |
| 17 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:45.156 | +1.672s | 25 |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:45.391 | +1.907s | 22 |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:45.810 | +2.326s | 24 |
| 20 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:45.947 | +2.463s | 25 |
Final Push Ahead of Qualifying
As the session came to a close, Leclerc’s commanding lap ensured Ferrari ended the day on a high note, with Perez and Hamilton rounding out the top three. Teams will now dive into the data from FP2 to fine-tune their cars ahead of Saturday’s final practice session and qualifying.
With drivers pushing their limits and street circuit challenges taking their toll, Baku is already shaping up to deliver another thrilling weekend of racing.
