Home F1 Azerbaijan GP: Leclerc tops close FP2 by 0.006s over Perez

Azerbaijan GP: Leclerc tops close FP2 by 0.006s over Perez

13/09/2024

Charles Leclerc ended up quickest in FP2 of F1 Azerbaijan GP by just 0.006s margin from Sergio Perez, with Lewis Hamilton in third.

While there was no red flag in FP2 of F1 Azerbaijan GP at Baku City Circuit, there were yellow flags still which disrupted some running. Having had the incident in FP1 and facing steering issues at the start of the second session, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended up on top.

He set a 1m43.484s lap late in the session to end up on top in FP2 of F1 Azerbaijan GP, which was just 0.006s quicker than Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who had a good session too. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was third and just 0.066s behind Leclerc.

The other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz was fourth in a good show, but not without an off at the same corner as he did in FP1. His teammate Leclerc too had a moment in the approach to the castle section. The Monegasque will have to see the stewards too.

He came in the way of Perez towards the end of the session. It caught out the Mexican who complained of the moment on the radio. His teammate Max Verstappen, who ended up only sixth in the order, had his barrier touch moment too but escaped damage.

He was behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Both Hamilton and Verstappen also complained about vision problems, as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in seventh made good strides after floor change from FP1, with Mercedes’ George Russell ending up ninth.

The Brit spent a good chunk of time in the garage after precautionary power unit change. His session ended early by two minutes after he was radioed about suspected issue. The Top 10 was rounded out by Haas’ Oliver Bearman.

Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda was 11th in a better run after FP1, but Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso dropped out in 12th from the Williams pair of Alexander Albon and Franco Colapinto, who bounced back from his FP1 crash, to be 13th and 14th.

Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottwas was 15th from Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who set his time on the medium tyre after his fast lap was interrupted early on by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 18th.

He led his teammate Esteban Ocon, whose power unit was changed after FP1 issue. Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu was 20th after his moment, with the likes of Bottas, Sainz, Colapinto, Verstappen, Leclerc, also going through their own moments.