Lando Norris dominated the timesheets on Friday at Silverstone, clocking the fastest lap in second practice. He led ahead of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
With a 60 per cent chance of rain, just like in FP1, Free Practice 2 began with urgency as teams and drivers aimed to complete their programs before any showers hit.
Formula One History Recommends
Most drivers started their opening runs on medium tyres. Max Verstappen set an early benchmark for Red Bull with a lap of 1m 27.831s. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc experienced difficulties through Maggots and Becketts, reporting struggles in high-speed sections with his Ferrari.
Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, noted that the track seemed to be slowing down due to windy conditions. Verstappen was the first to switch to soft tyres, a compound he hadn’t used in FP1, and quickly set the fastest lap.
Aston Martin, having faced challenges in Austria, showed promise at Silverstone. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were both near the top of the timesheets during FP2, with Stroll continuing his strong form from a P2 finish in FP1.
As the session progressed, Norris, the fastest in FP1, set the quickest lap by the halfway point with a time of 1m 26.549s. Shortly after, a minor off-track excursion led him to ask his team to check the car’s floor.
Towards the end of the session, rain loomed, and Daniel Ricciardo was warned of its approach. This prompted a variety of run plans, though many drivers continued their race simulations. The rain did arrive in the final minutes, but Norris retained his P1 position, finishing 0.331s ahead of Piastri.
Perez ended in third, just ahead of Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg in a strong fourth place. Future teammates Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth for Ferrari and Mercedes respectively.
Verstappen finished in P7, followed by Sainz in P8 and Stroll in P9, with George Russell’s Mercedes completing the top ten. Alonso narrowly missed out in P11, with Valtteri Bottas in the Kick Sauber placing P12.
Alex Albon took 13th for Williams, which featured a special Union Jack livery. The Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon followed in 14th and 15th, with Gasly set to start Sunday’s race from the back due to a new power unit.
Yuki Tsunoda, recovering from a spin in FP1, finished 16th for RB, ahead of Williams’ Logan Sargeant, Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, Ricciardo in RB, and Kevin Magnussen in the Haas.
British GP FP2 Results
2024 British Grand Prix FP2, 5 July 2024
Seen in:
