Source – Autoracing1.com
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix’s second practice session saw Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the pace, holding off Red Bull opponent Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. Leclerc overcame mechanical issues in his car to take the lead.
The second practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix got underway under bright skies and warm conditions, a welcome sight after a red flag-marred FP1. As teams looked to gain more mileage and test various setups, the track quickly filled with action. Drivers experimented with Pirelli’s hard, medium, and soft tyres, eager to gather critical data ahead of the weekend’s main events.
Charles Leclerc, fresh from repairs to his Ferrari, was among those keen to make up for lost time. However, early concerns surfaced for the Monegasque driver, who narrowly escaped another close call at the tricky Turn 15. Over the radio, Leclerc could be heard saying, “The car is bent somewhere,” followed by a frustrated “it’s impossible,” as his engineers struggled to find any visible issues on the data.
Carlos Sainz, Leclerc’s teammate, also had his share of drama. He survived a brush with the wall at Turn 1, while Zhou Guanyu in his Kick Sauber took an unscheduled trip down the Turn 3 escape road. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen wasn’t spared either, as he locked up under braking and came perilously close to the barriers at Turn 5.
Despite these early hiccups, it was Sainz who topped the timesheets initially, setting a 1m 44.323s lap on medium tyres, just edging out Sergio Perez, who has two previous wins in Baku. Lewis Hamilton, running the hard compound tyres, was six-tenths adrift in third. As the session progressed and teams switched to soft tyres, the pace increased rapidly. Sainz clocked a 1m 43.950s, holding the top spot ahead of a charging Oscar Piastri, Verstappen, Lance Stroll, and Perez.
Amid the shuffle, Haas’ stand-in driver Ollie Bearman impressed, setting a time that briefly put him seventh, much to the delight of his team. However, drama unfolded when Lando Norris found himself blocked by Pierre Gasly in the final sector. The McLaren driver had to back out of what looked like a promising lap, while Gasly, dealing with battery issues, quickly got on the radio to apologize.
Perez soon showed his hand, going fastest with a 1m 43.490s lap. Meanwhile, replays highlighted more incidents for drivers including Verstappen, Sainz, rookie Franco Colapinto, and Leclerc. Despite extensive work in the Ferrari garage, Leclerc still appeared uncomfortable behind the wheel.
As the session drew to a close, Leclerc managed to put his difficulties aside and launch an impressive final effort, securing the top spot with a 1m 43.484s. Perez, despite his best efforts, fell just short, while Hamilton improved to take third. Sainz, who had another off-track moment at Turn 7, ended up fourth, with Piastri and Verstappen completing the top six. Stroll was the leading Aston Martin driver in seventh.
Further down the order, George Russell, whose Mercedes had undergone a precautionary engine change before FP2, found himself sandwiched between the two Haas cars of Nico Hulkenberg and Bearman. Hulkenberg had a late moment, going off at Turn 15 but still managed a solid lap.
Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso slotted into 11th and 12th, respectively, while Williams duo Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto finished just outside the top 10. Valtteri Bottas in the Kick Sauber, Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull, and Lando Norris, whose session had been compromised, followed behind.
The Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon endured a frustrating session, finishing 18th and 19th. Ocon, already on a replacement power unit after an issue in FP1, couldn’t find the pace needed, while Zhou Guanyu, who earlier had his incident at Turn 3, brought up the rear.
With two practice sessions now in the books, teams will pore over the data to fine-tune their setups ahead of FP3, which is scheduled for Saturday. As the clock ticks toward qualifying, it remains to be seen who will find the perfect balance on this challenging street circuit.
