Piastri leads McLaren to a dominant one-two in Bahrain FP2, with Verstappen trailing behind and Hadjar impressing in sixth.
It’s time for the second and final session of this Friday at the Bahrain Grand Prix – the second Free Practice (FP2)! After the first session, which took place in the scorching heat, the drivers are now back on track under the night skies of Sakhir.
The six rookies who were part of FP1 have now been replaced by the regular drivers. This marks the official start of the weekend for Max Verstappen, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz.
Carlos received some good news between the sessions: he managed to avoid a fine after using the word “shit” twice during yesterday’s press conference. He could have been fined €40,000, but the stewards appreciated that he “acknowledged that his language was inappropriate” and apologized.
As for Yuki Tsunoda, he only received a reprimand after overtaking Alex Albon in the pit lane exit, just as the Williams driver was merging onto the fast lane. Tsunoda is fortunate to avoid a penalty.
16:52 – Jerome d’Ambrosio, Ferrari’s deputy to Fred Vasseur, explained that the Scuderia had “added performance and downforce” to their car with new upgrades focused on the floor.
He went on to explain a crucial factor in F1 performance these days:
“I think there’s been a lot of talk about ride height, and ultimately, with these car regulations, the lower you go, the more downforce you find. The discussions around it have been a bit exaggerated, where you lower the ride height during the weekend, you raise it, try to find your limit, and that’s where you end up. But I think it’s just an exercise, and the nature of the regulations means that it’s a performance area where everyone tries to find their limits, and I think it’s the same for everyone, if not exactly the same.”
16:59 – Aston Martin revealed that Dan Fallows will be leaving the team for good after initially being sidelined. The former right-hand man of Adrian Newey at Red Bull will be free to join another team if he wants to stay in F1.
17:00 – The FP2 session has begun!
17:04 – Charles Leclerc sets the first competitive time for a top team with a 1:33.347 on medium tires, while Max Verstappen begins his run. But Pierre Gasly takes the lead with a 1:32.699 on hard tires, ahead of Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan. Verstappen made a mistake, while Albon is second, and Esteban Ocon is third.
17:06 – Lewis Hamilton goes faster than anyone else on medium tires with a 1:32.157, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli moves into second place on soft tires. Oscar Piastri slots into third on hard tires, and Isack Hadjar is fifth on mediums.
17:08 – George Russell moves behind Antonelli.
17:10 – Fernando Alonso encounters issues and requests to return to the pits: “Change the steering wheel, there’s a problem with the steering wheel, it shuts off,” he says, as his car drifts straight, unresponsive, after the steering wheel detaches!
17:12 – More problems arise, as Lando Norris requests a new helmet: “Also change the HANS and clean the headrest.”
17:15 – Verstappen slots between the Mercedes drivers in third place, continuing a long stint on soft tires.
17:16 – Russell improves to take the lead with a 1:31.945, while Hamilton interrupts his lap as he was also improving.
17:20 – Hamilton improves again, taking back the fastest time with a 1:31.915! Only him, Leclerc, and Lawson remain on track.
17:22 – Leclerc improves on his teammate’s time with a 1:31.729, and now the two Ferraris lead, followed by the McLarens, Verstappen, Piastri, Gasly, Hadjar, Norris, and Albon.
17:23 – Albon had been involved in an incident with his teammate, Luke Browning, during FP1, and Williams was fined €7,500 for causing interference between their drivers.
17:24 – Albon improves, setting a 1:31.696 and moves to the top, but Verstappen responds with an improvement!
17:25 – The four-time world champion improves to 1:31.330! Norris is also in the process of improving his time.
17:26 – Bortoleto claims a respectable fourth place, but Norris goes even faster with a 1:30.659! This might not be the end, as Russell and Piastri also improve!
17:27 – Piastri finishes with an even better time of 1:30.505, taking the session lead. Russell improves but remains half a second behind the McLarens. Antonelli moves into fourth, just under two-tenths behind Russell. Doohan moves up to eighth, ahead of Gasly, who is in tenth. The times continue to shift as Hadjar and Sainz move up to fifth and seventh respectively.
17:29 – A surprising sight at the Mercedes garage: F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali came to speak with Toto Wolff, who hurriedly followed him.
17:31 – Russell complains that his helmet is lifting, requesting a wing to help limit this effect. Ollie Bearman shows some speed, moving into seventh, but struggles with the final corner: “It really messes with me.”
17:36 – With 24 minutes left, and as we approach Sunday’s race time, the teams begin long-run simulations. Except for Piastri on hard tires and Albon and Alonso on mediums, all drivers are on soft tires. Leclerc climbs to fourth.
17:52 – The session calms down, as the second half of FP2 is typically reserved for long-run evaluations and initial assessments of tire degradation and strategies.
After Norris set the fastest time in FP1, Piastri outpaced the Brit for a McLaren one-two. The pair have a comfortable margin over Russell, Leclerc, and Antonelli. Hadjar impresses again in sixth, ahead of Verstappen, Hamilton, Bearman, and Sainz.
Albon is 11th, followed by Lawson, Bortoleto, Doohan, Alonso, Ocon, and Gasly. Tsunoda is only 18th and complained of front-end lockups, while Stroll and Hülkenberg bring up the rear.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren F1 Team | 1m30.505s |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1m30.659s |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m31.032s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m31.045s |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m31.227s |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m31.238s |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m31.330s |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m31.576s |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m31.584s |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m31.623s |
| 11 | Alex Albon | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m31.696s |
| 12 | Liam Lawson | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m31.706s |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m31.772s |
| 14 | Jack Doohan | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m31.788s |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m31.825s |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m31.870s |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m31.947s |
| 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m32.024s |
| 19 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m32.382s |
| 20 | Nico Hulkenberg | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m32.496s |
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Piastri Tops Bahrain FP2, McLaren Dominates the Field Piastri Tops Bahrain FP2, McLaren Dominates the Field