FP2: Leclerc dominates FP2 in Australia

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in Free Practice 2 at the Australian Grand Prix, clocking in at 1:17.277. Leclerc led the session by 0.381 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.

Check out the results of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, including the race results, qualifying times, and practice sessions

The session, beginning at 1600 local time under sunny skies, saw immediate action, although Verstappen faced delays due to repairs from FP1 damage. Alex Albon sat out FP2 entirely after a heavy crash earlier in the day, though he escaped uninjured.

Several drivers experienced off-track moments, including an early spin by Logan Sargeant and the Mercedes duo who struggled with the windy conditions. Despite his late start, Verstappen clinched P2, while Sainz, recently recovering from surgery, secured P3.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso showed strong performance, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. George Russell, in a challenging session for Mercedes, placed sixth, followed by Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez in seventh and eighth. Lando Norris, the fastest in FP1, took ninth, with Yuki Tsunoda closing out the top ten.

Zhou Guanyu was 11th as Kick Sauber worked to resolve pit stop issues, with home favorite Daniel Ricciardo in 12th. Sargeant, who frequently went wide, finished 13th, ahead of Valtteri Bottas in 14th, and Pierre Gasly in 15th.

Nico Hulkenberg secured 16th, followed by Esteban Ocon in 17th. Lewis Hamilton had a tough outing, finishing 18th, while Kevin Magnussen ended in 19th.

With Friday’s activities concluded, teams will analyze their data ahead of Free Practice 3, which starts on Saturday at 1230 local time, before qualifying later in the day.

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