Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – Free Practice 2: Fernando Alonso and George Russell at the forefront
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) set the fastest time in Free Practice 2, which was disrupted even before the start of the session due to a delay caused once again by a drain cover. George Russell (Mercedes) posted the second fastest time, just two tenths off Alonso's pace. Max Verstappen finished third in this session as temperatures began to drop.
It was very hot today and the track was still over 30°C during this session. The drivers focused on preparing for long stints in anticipation of the race, which will also take place at night.
Fernando Alonso set the fastest time in the second free practice session in Jeddah, ahead of the race. The stints are traditionally longer and the engine consumption mode is slightly less aggressive. In these conditions, and with the updates brought by each team to tackle the immense straight lines of the Corniche circuit in Jeddah, Aston Martin seems to have found a good setup. Fernando Alonso is ahead of a Mercedes, with whom they share the same engine. George Russell is 230 milliseconds behind.
More information coming shortly…
Results of Free Practice 2 of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 of F1:
| Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco | 1:28.827 | 28 | |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.057 | +0,230 | 24 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.158 | +0,331 | 27 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:29.180 | +0,353 | 25 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.300 | +0,473 | 27 |
| 6 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco | 1:29.336 | +0,509 | 27 |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:29.455 | +0,628 | 26 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:29.504 | +0,677 | 22 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.528 | +0,701 | 29 |
| 10 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.594 | +0,767 | 27 |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:29.666 | +0,839 | 28 |
| 12 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:29.758 | +0,931 | 23 |
| 13 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:29.777 | +0,950 | 27 |
| 14 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:29.789 | +0,962 | 28 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:29.901 | +1,074 | 27 |
| 16 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:29.934 | +1,107 | 27 |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:29.985 | +1,158 | 24 |
| 18 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:30.077 | +1,250 | 26 |
| 19 | Daniel Ricciardo | Racing Bulls | 1:30.088 | +1,261 | 29 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:30.153 | +1,326 | 27 |
