Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the benchmark in the second one-hour practice at the Australian Grand Prix, dominating proceedings each on the medium and the gentle compound. Max Verstappen completed 4 tenths of a second behind with the returning Carlos Sainz impressing with the third-quickest lap. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó studies on Free Practice 2.
After Lando Norris set the benchmark time in the opening practice, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc went quickest in the afternoon one-hour session in Melbourne with a time of 1m 17.277s. The Monegasque was quickest after the medium-tyre runs, and he may additional prolong his lead on Pirelli’s C5 compound to remain 381 1000’s of a second away from championship runaway chief Max Verstappen.
Having returned to motion after his surgical procedure, Carlos Sainz displayed encouraging tempo, ending the session third. Just as in Jeddah, Aston Martin seems to hold eye-catching one-lap tempo in Australia with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso taking fourth and fifth respectively.
George Russell set the sixth quickest time in what appeared to be a barely difficult session for Mercedes. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton ended up 18th quickest with the seven-time world champion having complained about set-up experiments his staff has carried out in order to settle down the rear finish of their W15.
McLaren had a really spectacular run throughout the opening practice, however they have been unable to maintain with the bettering tempo of their rivals in Free Practice 2 with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris taking seventh and eighth quickest.
Alex Albon, in the meantime, was compelled to take a seat out FP2 altogether following his heavy crash in first practice. The Thai driver was unhurt however the Williams squad required additional time to evaluate the injury to his automotive.
The Visa Cash RB staff displayed encouraging tempo with Yuki Tsunoda ending in P10. His team-mate Daniel Ricciardo set the twelfth quickest lap.
After lacking the first half of second practice, Max was not in a temper to be saved ready 😠☕️#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/MPUtVswMMa
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 22, 2024
Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:17.277 | 25 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda Rbpt | 1:17.658 | +0.381s | 20 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:17.707 | +0.430s | 24 |
| 4 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:17.822 | +0.545s | 28 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:17.912 | +0.635s | 30 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:17.951 | +0.674s | 23 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:18.077 | +0.800s | 28 |
| 8 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda Rbpt | 1:18.090 | +0.813s | 32 |
| 9 | 4 | Lando Norris | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:18.155 | +0.878s | 22 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Rb Honda Rbpt | 1:18.188 | +0.911s | 26 |
| 11 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:18.421 | +1.144s | 31 |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Rb Honda Rbpt | 1:18.534 | +1.257s | 29 |
| 13 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:18.578 | +1.301s | 23 |
| 14 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:18.585 | +1.308s | 31 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:18.691 | +1.414s | 32 |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:18.702 | +1.425s | 27 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:18.705 | +1.428s | 31 |
| 18 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:18.834 | +1.557s | 22 |
| 19 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:19.275 | +1.998s | 30 |
