Despite challenges, Leclerc dominated FP2 in Azerbaijan, with Red Bull closing in fast.
At the start of the session, Mercedes was working on George Russell’s engine, with the team warning it would be at least 30 minutes before the British driver could take to the track in Baku.
Charles Leclerc set the initial benchmark with a time of 1:45.812, ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Carlos Sainz slotting in between them. Max Verstappen confirmed his strong form with a 1:45.563, but it was Sergio Pérez who impressed by clocking a 1:44.598, nearly a second faster than his teammate.
Leclerc complained of handling issues and a car difficult to turn in one direction. His engineers tried to identify the source of the problem but saw nothing in the data. The Monegasque driver then missed a corner and pressed his team for answers: “It’s impossible that you don’t see it in the data.” Shortly after, he chose to return to the pits, deeming the car undrivable.
Verstappen also caused a yellow flag by missing a braking point but avoided contact with the barriers. Sainz took the fastest time with a 1:44.323, also on medium tires like Pérez, while Lewis Hamilton had earlier positioned himself just behind the Mexican, albeit on hard tires.
Pierre Gasly impeded Lando Norris in the circuit’s very fast final corners, but an accident was avoided. The Frenchman reported over the radio that a battery problem caused a loss of power, and he apologized.
The drivers then switched to soft tires, and Sainz improved to a 1:43.950. Oscar Piastri and Verstappen were within a tenth of his time, while Oliver Bearman placed his Haas in sixth position.
Lance Stroll moved up to fourth, but Pérez once again set the pace with a time of 1:43.490. Hamilton then climbed to second place. Finally, Leclerc returned to the track and went even faster with a 1:43.484.
Russell, who had eventually made it out during the session, had to stop before the end, with Mercedes confirming that a new problem had arisen with his car.
Despite a chaotic session, Leclerc finished on top ahead of Pérez and Hamilton. Sainz followed ahead of Piastri and Verstappen, then Stroll and Hülkenberg, while Russell and the surprising Bearman completed the top ten.
Alonso was 12th ahead of the Williams drivers, while Norris was 17th without having set a fast lap on soft tires, just ahead of the Alpines.
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Leclerc Tops Baku FP2, Red Bull in Hot Pursuit Leclerc Tops Baku FP2, Red Bull in Hot Pursuit
