FP2: Alonso tops second practice in Saudi Arabia ahead of Russell and Verstappen
Fernando Alonso set the fastest lap in Thursday's second practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, topping the timesheets ahead of George Russell and Max Verstappen.
The session experienced a 10-minute delay at the start, but once the lights turned green, drivers hit the track under the floodlights, offering conditions similar to what is expected for Saturday night's race. This was a contrast to the earlier FP1 session, which took place in hotter and more humid conditions.
The hour began bustling with activity, although not without its issues. Valtteri Bottas encountered an early setback, suffering a spin after locking up into Turn 1.
In another incident, the stewards confirmed they would investigate a potential impeding situation between Lewis Hamilton and Logan Sargeant after the session. Sargeant had to take avoiding action when he encountered a slow-moving Mercedes on the track.
During the qualifying simulation runs on soft tyres, Alonso clocked the fastest lap with a 1m28.827s. His time held firm as drivers transitioned to long runs in the latter half of the session, keeping him 0.230s clear of Russell.
Having set the fastest time in FP1, Verstappen secured third place in FP2, followed by Charles Leclerc in fourth and Sergio Perez in fifth. Lance Stroll continued Aston Martin's solid performance, placing sixth, though he received a black and white flag for a track limits infringement later on.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloCarlos Sainz, Hamilton (who reported power issues in the final minutes), Pierre Gasly, and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top 10.
Yuki Tsunoda emerged as the lead RB driver in 11th, with Lando Norris in the McLaren occupying 12th. Kick Sauber's Zhou Guanyu positioned himself in 13th, narrowly ahead of Alex Albon in 14th.
Esteban Ocon claimed 15th place, followed by Sargeant in 16th. The Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished 17th and 18th respectively.
Daniel Ricciardo struggled to make an impact, ending the session in 19th place, while Bottas rounded out the field in 20th.
With the first day of track action complete, teams will now delve into their data to prepare for the third and final practice session scheduled for Friday.
