Hamilton leads Mercedes dominance in FP2 at Bahrain Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton closed the first day of the Bahrain Grand Prix on a high note, clocking the fastest lap in the second free practice session, solidifying Mercedes' grip with a one-two finish alongside teammate George Russell.
As the session unfolded under the floodlights at 18:00 local time, drivers navigated the track in conditions more reflective of the upcoming qualifying and race than the day's earlier runs.
Most teams, except for McLaren, Red Bull, and Kick Sauber, strategically saved the soft tyre for FP2's cooler temperatures, focusing on early qualifying simulation runs. Hamilton set the early benchmark, reaching an impressive 1m 30.374s by the session’s halfway point. His lap remained unchallenged as teams shifted to longer runs, with Hamilton’s time holding a 0.206s edge over Russell.
Fernando Alonso posted a strong performance, trailing Russell by just eight-hundredths to secure third. Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri emerged as top contenders for their respective teams, finishing fourth and fifth.
Max Verstappen secured the sixth spot, trailing Hamilton by nearly half a second. The top ten was rounded out by Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, Charles Leclerc, and Sergio Perez.
Williams drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant finished in 11th and 13th, respectively, flanking Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull, who settled for 12th after leading FP1. Kevin Magnussen led Haas in 14th, with Yuki Tsunoda following in 15th.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloFormer teammates Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly finished close, with Gasly placing 16th for Alpine. He was followed by Valtteri Bottas, who found himself under investigation for a pit lane infringement early in the session.
Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu occupied the 18th and 19th spots, while Lando Norris brought up the rear after aborting his flying lap due to an error.
With the first day of action wrapped up, teams will now delve into the data, preparing for the final practice session on Friday.
