#F1 #SaudiArabianGP FP2: @alo_oficial pips @GeorgeRussell63 by 0.230s.

Alonso Saudi Arabian GP FP2 – Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso topped the time-sheets in the FP2 session at the Saudi Arabian GP, pipping Mercedes’ George Russell as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the top three.

Alonso’s benchmark during the qualifying simulation runs of the session in conditions representative to both qualifying and the race, posted the benchmark of a 1:28.827 using the C4 red side-walled Soft compounds and was 0.230 seconds quicker than Russell with reigning world champion Verstappen a further 0.331 seconds from the Spaniard in third.

The start of Free Practice Two was delayed by ten minutes in Jeddah as the FIA checked drain covers in the pitlane, but it ran into the time under the lights.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was the first to exit the pits, leading the pack out and set the first benchmark of a 1:32.956 after Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas lost the rear of his Ferrari-powered C44 racer and spin at turn one.

With most of the field mixed on mediums and hard compounds, bar the two Visa Cash App RB entries running the softs at the beginning, Zhou Guanyu took a brief spell at the head of the times on the C3 yellow-marked medium tyres before the two Red Bull RB20 entries rapidly shot to the top.

Verstappen’s initial medium flying lap was a 1:30.447 before team-mate Sergio Perez pipped the Dutchman by 0.002 seconds, on the same tyre – the pairing then shuffled back by Alonso’s initial effort, a 1:29.846, also posted on the mediums.

Verstappen’s second hot-lap on the mediums brought him to 0.051 seconds behind Alonso, before the latter lowered the benchmark again posting a 1:29.560.

But a few moments later, Verstappen reclaimed top spot again with a 1:29.543, with a break in action then ensuring the drivers prepare for their qualifying simulation runs on the C4 red-branded softer tyres.

This was kicked off by Bottas, but Alonso emerged first of the frontrunners soon afterwards and rapidly again lit up the timing screens.

At the 25^th-minute mark, the two-time world champion set the quickest time in sectors one and three to the session-topping 1:28.827.

Following not too far off, Verstappen posted a personal best, but was a big chunk behind – a 0.550 second gap into which Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Perez moved into 0.353 and 0.473 seconds respectively behind Alonso.

Just past the midway point, as the two Mercedes F1 W15 entries were gearing up for their soft tyre stints, with Sir Lewis Hamilton at this stage sitting at the rear of the time-sheets and currently facing a post-FP2 investigation for impeding Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant at turn ten during the opening proceedings, Verstappen went again on his set of softs.

The Dutchman improved, ending up 0.331 seconds behind Alonso – Verstappen undertaking a pair of slow cool-down runs before being able to use the softs again on what is a smoother surface on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit compared to the abrasive nature of Bahrain’s International Circuit at the season-opening race last weekend.

Leclerc, who took a brief trip to the pits following his softs flying lap, aborted a second attempt on the same set, before the two Mercedes drivers finally registered their lap times on the C4 tyre.

Russell slotted into fourth and Hamilton seventh at this stage, before the former was then able to post another flyer, which put him in-front of Verstappen and 0.230 seconds behind Alonso with over 20 minutes left on the clock.

The field switched to long race run data gathering, which secured the top times, just after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz just moved ahead of Hamilton to wound up behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll – Sainz having been amongst many drivers to have back out of a flying lap during to encountering traffic.

Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton suffered a power-unit issue near the session’s end and finished the session eighth as Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri rounded out the top ten.

RB’s Yuki Tsunoda placed outside the top ten in 11^th place and ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris who took 12^th and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu who was 13^th in the classification.

Williams Racing duo Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant finished Free Practice 2 in 14^th and 16^th respectively as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon sandwiched in-between the two FW46’s in 15^th.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team pairing Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg ended their day in 17^th and 18^th respectively as RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2024/races/1230/saudi-arabia/practice-2.html

#SaudiArabianGP FP1: @Max33Verstappen quickest ahead of @Alo_Oficial, #Perez. #F1

#F1 STC #SaudiArabianGP 2024 Race Preview. #Formula1 #SaudiArabiaGP