FP2 Highlights | 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had crashed out of FP1 at Turn 15, had another moment in the same place in second practice on Baku's dusty streets, this time opting for the escape road. Yeah guys, I'm not driving with this car anymore. It's impossible you cannot see that on data. Impossible. It's completely, it's not straight. Copy box. Once the issues were sorted, he was back out on track and much happier, clocking the fastest time of the day so far at 1 minute 43.484. Red Bull had been on the front foot in first practice. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, both previous winners here. P1 and P3 respectively. However, the defending champ was complaining of understeer in FP2 and had to have his wits about him at Turn 5. The Dutchman hard on the brakes and just stopping before the barriers did any damage to his car. He was also struggling with the conditions. He later took to the runoff at Turn 3, as did Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, executing a neat flick to get back on track. Franco Colopinto, who also crashed out in first practice, tapped the wall at the narrow Turn 8-9 section, but luckily the damage, if any, was minimal this time. Lando Norris went a little offline at the final corner, the Briton washing wide across the kerbs and then having to take emergency action on a flying lap when he came across Pierre Gasly. Mercedes are running an older spec floor and both Silver Arrow drivers seem more settled here than in previous outings. Lewis Hamilton was second fastest in FP1. For want of less traffic, he might have been quickest. He was P3 in this session with teammate George Russell on a different run plan, down in P9. Lance Stroll had a decent session, P7 as the flag fell. He was third here in 2019 for Williams, the first of three occasions the Canadian driver has graced the podium. He'll be hoping for similar and better finishes ahead and some recent team news promises to offer both him and Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso future opportunities to challenge at the front. The Silverstone-based outfit made a big announcement midweek with the signing of Adrian Newey, the former Williams, McLaren and Red Bull Championship winning car designer as managing technical partner. So Leclerc fastest in FP2 from two-time Baku winner Sergio Perez. Then came Hamilton's signs, Oskar Piastri, Verstappen, Stroll, Hülkenberg, Russell and Olly Behrmann. Yuki Tsunoda was P11 and he was ahead of Alonso, Alvin, Colopinto, Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo with Norris, Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Joe Guagnou completing the 20.