Hamilton leads FP2 in Spain, showing focus and precision. Gasly takes fourth, outpacing Verstappen.
Free Practice 2 of the Spanish Grand Prix took place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, once again under sunny skies welcoming the drivers. After a studious first session, FP2 was also an opportunity to prepare for a potentially rainy race.
Lance Stroll received a reprimand for not participating in a fan session. The Aston Martin F1 driver was actually with the doctor after experiencing symptoms overnight, and therefore was not heavily penalised.
Max Verstappen took a new engine, his last one available before incurring a penalty. He can, of course, reuse the old engines, but the Dutchman will face a 10-place grid penalty when he opts for a new internal combustion V6.
Most drivers went out on medium tyres at the start of the session, and Lewis Hamilton set a time of 1’15″0. Several drivers, including the Ferrari drivers, Verstappen, and his teammate George Russell, beat him.
Lando Norris set the first significant time in FP2 at 1’14″197, less than two seconds off the 2023 pole. Verstappen complained about a car that didn’t “bite” and understeer.
Hamilton climbed to third, and Russell took the lead with a 1’14″089. The drivers quickly focused on long runs, crucial in Barcelona, after FP1, where they each completed an average of thirty laps working on performance.
On soft tyres, the Williams drivers returned to the top 10, and Carlos Sainz took the lead with a 1’13″286. Norris was 33 milliseconds behind, and Verstappen two-tenths back. Hamilton improved to 1’13″264.
Esteban Ocon moved to sixth, just ahead of Valtteri Bottas and the Haas drivers. Oscar Piastri was back on track after a minor alert on his McLaren MCL38. Pierre Gasly climbed to fourth place.
For Sergio Pérez, the soft tyres did not bring satisfaction. Six-tenths behind Verstappen, he was in 13th place with 20 minutes to go. Aston Martin and RB F1 also seemed off the pace in this session.
As usual, the second half of the session was entirely dedicated to long runs to prepare for the race. The times did not change in the final minutes of this second free practice session.
2024 F1 Spanish Grand Prix – Free Practice Results (2)
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:13.264 | 28 |
| 02 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:13.286 | 30 |
| 03 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:13.319 | 31 |
| 04 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:13.443 | 27 |
| 05 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:13.504 | 29 |
| 06 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:13.597 | 22 |
| 07 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:13.622 | 28 |
| 08 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:13.722 | 28 |
| 09 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:13.766 | 30 |
| 10 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:13.924 | 30 |
| 11 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:14.021 | 32 |
| 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:14.053 | 29 |
| 13 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:14.081 | 23 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:14.091 | 28 |
| 15 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:14.211 | 31 |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:14.257 | 29 |
| 17 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:14.345 | 21 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:14.402 | 28 |
| 19 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:14.807 | 34 |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:15.070 | 33 |
Gasly Surprises with P4 Finish, Verstappen Behind. Gasly Surprises with P4 Finish, Verstappen Behind
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