The session kicked off under clear skies at 4:00 PM local time, though it began without two drivers who stayed in the pits. Verstappen experienced a delayed start to his session while his team addressed some floor damage to his RB20 incurred during FP1.
Alex Albon missed out on FP2 due to the significant crash earlier. Although he was unharmed, his team needed extra time to evaluate the extent of his car’s damage.
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FP1’s challenging conditions saw several drivers veer off track, and the trend continued into FP2. Logan Sargeant spun early in the session, the wind having picked up, though he managed to escape hitting the barriers after sliding into the gravel. Similarly, the Mercedes pair and other drivers found themselves off-track as the session unfolded.
During the session on soft tyres, Charles Leclerc secured top spot with a lap time of 1:17.277, establishing a lead of 0.381 seconds over Max Verstappen. Verstappen, who joined the session about 25 minutes late, had a different timing for his runs compared to the rest of the drivers.
Carlos Sainz claimed third, marking a strong return after his surgery for appendicitis two weeks earlier. The Aston Martin drivers, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso impressed with fourth and fifth, respectively.
George Russell managed the sixth fastest time, facing a somewhat difficult session for Mercedes, followed by Oscar Piastri in seventh and Sergio Perez in eighth. Lando Norris, who led in FP1, ended up in ninth, with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda completing the top ten.
Zhou Guanyu placed 11th for Alfa Romeo, as the team aimed to overcome recent pit stop challenges, while Daniel Ricciardo finished 12th before his home fans.
Logan Sargeant, in the Williams, was 13th after several off-track excursions during the hour, with Valtteri Bottas in 14th and Pierre Gasly leading Alpine in 15th.
Nico Hulkenberg secured 16th following his recent point finish for Haas in Saudi Arabia, with Esteban Ocon in 17th.
Lewis Hamilton had a challenging day, finishing 18th after discarding his first two flying laps. Kevin Magnussen wrapped up the session in 19th.
With the Friday sessions in Melbourne concluded, the teams are set to analyse their performance data in preparation for Free Practice 3 on Saturday at 12:30 local time, ahead of the day’s qualifying.
Australian GP FP2 Results
2024 Australian Grand Prix, 22 March 2024
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:17.277 | 26 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:17.658 | +0.381s | 21 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:17.707 | +0.430s | 25 |
| 4 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:17.822 | +0.545s | 29 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:17.912 | +0.635s | 31 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:17.951 | +0.674s | 24 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:18.077 | +0.800s | 29 |
| 8 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:18.090 | +0.813s | 33 |
| 9 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:18.155 | +0.878s | 23 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:18.188 | +0.911s | 27 |
| 11 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:18.421 | +1.144s | 32 |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:18.534 | +1.257s | 30 |
| 13 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:18.578 | +1.301s | 23 |
| 14 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:18.585 | +1.308s | 32 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:18.691 | +1.414s | 33 |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:18.702 | +1.425s | 28 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:18.705 | +1.428s | 32 |
| 18 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:18.834 | +1.557s | 23 |
| 19 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:19.275 | +1.998s | 31 |
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