Norris Dominates Saudi GP FP2 as Tsunoda Crashes Out

Lando Norris tops FP2 with a blistering time, while Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri push McLaren’s dominance in Saudi Arabia.

The second practice session (FP2) at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix delivered some exciting results, with McLaren’s Lando Norris topping the timesheets after a strong performance in cooler evening conditions. The session provided teams with valuable insights into the track conditions for both qualifying and the race, which will take place at the same time, 19:00, on Sunday.

FP1 Recap:

FP1 set the stage with a surprising result: Pierre Gasly of Alpine F1 posted the fastest lap, impressing with his pace on soft tires despite the scorching track temperatures in Jeddah, which exceeded 50°C. As temperatures dropped for FP2, it was clear that tire degradation would be a key factor, especially with the softer Pirelli tires being used this weekend.

The Jeddah circuit, featuring 27 corners and unforgiving barriers, demands precision and confidence from the drivers. In FP1, a tight pack of 16 drivers were separated by just 0.8 seconds, meaning every lost tenth could be decisive.

FP2 Highlights:

• 18:53: Liam Lawson received a warning for crossing the painted zone between the pit entry and track, but no penalty was issued as it was only a practice session.
• 18:56: Speculation about Max Verstappen potentially joining Mercedes F1 heated up, with George Russell admitting he could understand the move. Former Mercedes strategist and now Williams team principal James Vowles doesn’t think the pairing would work, while Red Bull’s Christian Horner expressed confidence that Verstappen would stay with the team.
• 18:59: Track temperature dropped significantly to 37°C from the earlier 50°C, with air temperature stable at 28°C.
• 19:01: Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto won’t participate in FP2 due to a fuel leak on his Sauber, requiring a change of the survival cell.
• 19:05: Verstappen set the fastest lap at 1:29.896, four-tenths ahead of Gasly and Carlos Sainz. Jack Doohan was in fourth, while Yuki Tsunoda made a solid push into second place.
• 19:07: Fernando Alonso complained about traffic, joking, “There are 20 cars on track, I overtook 26 in one lap!”
• 19:09: Charles Leclerc moved into second, two-tenths behind Norris, with Verstappen in third. A yellow flag was waved as Lance Stroll spun at turn 1.
• 19:11: Lewis Hamilton improved his second sector time, jumping to fourth despite a hindered final sector.
• 19:12: Tsunoda improved to fourth, with Oscar Piastri moving into second, just a thousandth of a second ahead of his teammate. Gasly was now in sixth, with George Russell also improving to seventh despite a poor first sector.
• 19:14: Hamilton was under investigation for allegedly blocking Alexander Albon, who reacted quickly to avoid contact.
• 19:15: Andrea Kimi Antonelli rose to sixth, while McLaren showed promising pace, with Norris and Piastri on quick laps.
• 19:17: Norris set the fastest lap of the session so far at 1:29.272, a full second ahead of Piastri.
• 19:23: Russell set the best second sector and briefly took the lead with a 1:28.973, only for Sainz to improve with a 1:28.942. Verstappen was on a quick lap, and Hadjar moved up to sixth.
• 19:26: Verstappen went fastest with a 1:28.547.
• 19:30: At the halfway mark, Piastri retook the lead with a 1:28.430.
• 19:32: Norris reclaimed the top spot with a 1:28.340.
• 19:37: The session shifted focus as drivers conducted long runs to prepare for race conditions.
• 19:40: Norris continued to improve, setting a 1:28.267.
• 19:44: Only Albon was running on hard tires, while others tested tire degradation on medium and soft compounds.
• 19:51: Red flag! Tsunoda crashed into the wall at the exit of the final corner. He was unharmed but appeared to have hit the inside barrier before bouncing off the outside wall.
• 19:53: Replays confirmed Tsunoda’s car had made contact with the inner wall before being sent into the outside barrier.
• 19:57: The session was not officially concluded, and teams readied their cars in case the session resumed.
• 19:58: The session resumed, with drivers now set to do a start practice.
• 19:59: Antonelli and Hadjar were the only drivers not to return to the track, alongside Tsunoda and Bortoleto.
• 20:00: The session officially ended.

Final Results:

Lando Norris finished the day fastest ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc was fourth, followed by Carlos Sainz and Tsunoda, who didn’t complete the session after his crash. George Russell finished seventh, ahead of Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, and Albon. Antonelli, Hadjar, and Hamilton rounded out the field, while Lawson and Alonso finished 13th and 14th. Meanwhile, Bearman was 16th, with Doohan, Stroll, Ocon, and Bortoleto completing the bottom positions.

Conclusion:

McLaren looked strong in FP2, with Norris and Piastri topping the timing sheets. The session was also a reminder of how quickly things can change on a street circuit like Jeddah, with drivers having to find the balance between pushing for speed and avoiding costly mistakes. The race weekend is shaping up to be an exciting battle, and with Williams now showing they can fight with the top teams, the action is sure to continue heating up.

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Norris Dominates Saudi GP FP2 as Tsunoda Crashes Out Norris Dominates Saudi GP FP2 as Tsunoda Crashes Out