Charles Leclerc bounced back from a morning crash to secure the fastest lap in the second practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
The Ferrari driver faced a major setback after a crash in the first practice session left his SF-24 with bent steering, but he managed to set a stunning lap time of 1:43.484, just ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
The session began with many drivers eager to log laps in the warm conditions, and Charles Leclerc quickly found himself back in the fray after his team worked diligently to repair his car.
However, early on, he reported feeling that something was “bent” in the car, leading to a frustrating start as he struggled with the balance of his car. This was evident when he had to pit early in the session, losing valuable time as his engineers attempted to diagnose the issue.
Meanwhile, his teammate Carlos Sainz was also having a challenging day after brushing the wall at Turn 1 and struggling to find consistent pace.
As the session progressed, the drivers began to switch to softer tires, which allowed for quicker lap times. Sainz initially took the lead with a time of 1:44.323, but this was short-lived as Pérez and Hamilton began to show their competitive edge.
Pérez’s performance was particularly impressive, as he consistently challenged the top times, ultimately securing a close second place. Hamilton also impressed after running within striking distance of the leaders, but faced his share of challenges as well, including complaints about visibility due to his windshield.
Leclerc finally found his rhythm with about 15 minutes remaining in the session. After adjusting the balance of his Ferrari, he rejoined the track and quickly began to set competitive times with his final lap allowing him to snatch the top position away from Sergio Pérez by a mere six-thousandths of a second.
Meanwhile, Perez’s teammate Max Verstappen struggled to find pace and finished in sixth place, over half a second off Leclerc’s time. This was a surprising outcome for the reigning world champion, who had been expected to challenge for the top spots.
Lewis Hamilton was third-fastest for Mercedes ahead of Carlos Sainz in fourth. However, the Ferrari driver might be in trouble with the stewards who are investigating him for potentially impeding Perez in a frightening near-miss through the high speed kink at turn 13
Other notable performances came from Oscar Piastri, who finished fifth, and Lance Stroll, who managed to secure seventh place. Stroll’s performance was particularly commendable as he navigated the tricky street circuit with confidence, showing the potential of the Aston Martin car in Baku.
Meanwhile, George Russell’s session was hampered by technical issues, which saw him return to the garage before completing a full qualifying simulation. He proceeded to finish the session ninth-quickest having completed the fewest laps of any driver, with just 16′.
The Haas F1 team had a noteworthy day, with Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Oliver Bearman finishing eighth and tenth, respectively. Their performances highlighted the team’s potential to compete in the midfield, especially on a challenging circuit like Baku.
However, Lando Norris had a disappointing session, finishing down in 17th place after being impeded by Pierre Gasly who was struggling with battery issues. The incident not only affected Norris’s lap times but also raised concerns about McLaren’s overall pace heading into the qualifying session.
After his first practice crash, Franco Colapinto survived the session without crashing out – but only just. He clipped the wall at the tight turn eight with his right-rear wheel, but appeared to avoid major damage. He ended the session 14th, fractionally slower than team mate Alexander Albon.
