FP2 report: how Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz performed in Spa practice | 2024 Belgian GP

07/26/2024 12:18 PM

McLaren driver Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led a one-two in the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at the 7.004-kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, pushing Max Verstappen to third place, while Sergio Perez struggled significantly in the other Red Bull.

This outcome shifted the weekend’s early narrative after Verstappen’s dominance in FP1. Perez faced increased pressure with Red Bull poised to decide his F1 future post-race. Under heavier skies than the earlier FP1 session, Verstappen initially set the pace on medium tires, clocking a 1m43.456s, later improving to 1m43.339s. Norris, running soft tires from the start, was just 0.1s off Verstappen’s time after his first lap, slightly increasing to 0.2s after Verstappen's improvement.

Teams then pitted around the 15-minute mark, with Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz initiating the qualifying simulations in FP2’s middle phase, surpassing Max Verstappen’s time with a 1m43.098s. Piastri then took the lead on softs, setting a 1m42.475s despite a near-miss at Turn 9 where he briefly dipped into the gravel.

The Dutchman’s attempt on soft tires fell short by 0.002s, losing time in the third sector. Charles Leclerc overtook his Maranello teammate, placing the Ferrari drivers fourth and fifth. Norris, on a new set of softs, then recorded the fastest times in the second and third sectors, achieving a 1m42.260s, 0.215s ahead of Piastri and 0.217s ahead of Max Verstappen.

George Russell was the fastest Mercedes driver in sixth, followed by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen, both ahead of the struggling Perez, who ended up 1.244s behind Norris and 1.27s behind Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton completed the top 10, before teams switched to race simulations as rain threatened towards the end of FP2. Oscar Piastri had another off-track moment at Turn 11, damaging his car’s floor on the exit kerbs. Norris also faced a disrupted race run due to a prolonged pit stop. Daniel Ricciardo, finishing 14th, had to cut his session short due to a suspected loose rollbar.

Williams, which had performed well in FP1 with Alex Albon in third, fell back, with Albon and teammate Logan Sargeant finishing 17th and 18th, respectively.

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