@LandoNorris heads @McLarenF1 one-two in #AbuDhabiGP FP2. #F1
Lando Norris, #4, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL38, Free Practice 2, Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Image credit to Clive Mason/Getty Images. Norris Abu Dhabi FP2, Abu Dhabi FP2 Results, F1 Abu Dhabi GP FP2 Results, 2024 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP FP2 Results.
Norris Abu Dhabi FP2 – Lando Norris lead from team-mate Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in the final FP2 session of the year at the Abu Dhabi GP as MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top three.
Norris set the session-topping benchmark of a 1:23.517 on the C5 red side-walled Pirelli P-Zero softer compound and was 0.234 seconds clear of Piastri in second whilst Hulkenberg was a further 0.462 seconds adrift of the Briton in third.
At Red Bull, newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen was once again frustrated with the handling of his RB20 racer as he wounded up down in 17th, whilst McLaren’s Constructor’s Championship rival Ferrari had a restrained session and Williams suffered further setbacks with both of its Mercedes-powered FW46 entries.
After Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu registered the early benchmark of a 1:26.179, which RB’s Liam Lawson ousted with his 1:25.537 on the opening stints on the C4 yellow-marked medium rubber at the beginning of the hour-long twilight session, Norris got ahead of both drivers with his 1:25.020 effort.
Piastri slotted in behind, before Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz shot to the top of the pile with his initial flying lap of the day after Arthur Leclerc completed his rookie duties in Free Practice 1 in the Spaniard’s SF-24 entry.
But as the opening ten minutes of proceedings drew to a close, Norris jumped back to P1 setting a 1:24.332 with his second hot-lap on the medium tyres and the Briton was only temporarily behind thereafter.
Norris might have been temporarily demoted first back when Williams’ Franco Colapinto opening the qualifying simulation tyre stints after a lengthy break in action before the midway point, but the Argentine had to catch a snap of oversteer through the quick turn nine hair-pin and damaged his floor over the kerbs as he travelled out wide.
Despite repairs been made to the floor of his FW46 racer, Colapinto did not re-emerge, whilst in the other FW46 entry, Alexander Albon had to slowly return back to the pits at the beginning of his late-FP2 long race run after losing drive.
But Albon was able to continue and return on track with five minutes remaining, ending up ninth in the order.
Albon had taken that spot during the flurry of flying laps on the softs that followed his team-mate’s abandoned initial hot-lap effort on that tyre, with Piastri the first of the front runners to do so.
The Australian finally jumped in-front of his McLaren team-mate Norris posting a 1:23.751 – besides suffering a snap of oversteer at turn one – before his team-mate bounced back to the top moments later.
Norris set a 1:23.517, which put him P1 by 0.234 seconds, as Sainz initially grabbed third in the order for Ferrari and 0.582 seconds off.
But, with the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc losing his initial flyer softs lap after encountering traffic at the turns 6/7 chicane, which splits up the two long back straights at the Yas Marina Circuit. Hulkenberg was able to move ahead with his soft-tyre effort of a 1:23.979 and 0.482 seconds adrift of Norris.
After Leclerc had finally posted a flying lap, which put him one place below his soon-to-be new team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton in fifth and sixth respectively, Hulkenberg was set to go even faster on a second hot-lap on the softs, but the German had a slower last sector than his personal best.
Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas finished seventh in the order and ahead of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen who was eighth as Williams’ Albon and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten.
RB’s Liam Lawson ended the day outside the top ten in 11th place and in-front of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who took 12th and Mercedes’ George Russell who placed 13th in the classification.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was 14th and ahead of Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu who came 15th in the order.
Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were 16th and 18th respectively as Red Bull’s Verstappen split the pairing in a low-17th with the Dutchman complaining of understeer aboard his RB20 racer.
Alpine’s Jack Doohan and the aforementioned Williams of Colapinto brought up the rear.
The long race data gathering runs closed the session without any incident, with Leclerc expressing his assessment on McLaren’s strong pace on the high-fuel stints when informed about Piastri’s run.
You can see the full Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2024/races/1252/abu-dhabi/practice/2
2024 F1 World Championship Standings
#F1 #AbuDhabiGP FP1: @CharlesLeclerc quickest ahead of @LandoNorris, @LewisHamilton.
