Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the second practice session ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, with Mercedes teammate George Russell joining him on track in a car that had been damaged earlier in the day by Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton posted a lap time of 1:20.738, narrowly beating McLaren’s Lando Norris by just three-thousandths of a second. Carlos Sainz, driving an upgraded Ferrari, came in third, followed by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc to complete the top five. The session was briefly interrupted when Haas driver Kevin Magnussen crashed into a barrier.
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The gap between Hamilton and Leclerc was just 0.15 seconds.
In the first practice session, reigning world champion Max Verstappen was the fastest, ahead of Leclerc and Norris, his closest competitor in the drivers’ standings. However, Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished 14th and 15th respectively in the second practice, as neither completed a full qualifying simulation.
Norris reduced Verstappen’s lead in the championship to 70 points at the previous race by winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, finishing over 20 seconds ahead of the Red Bull driver.
Russell’s appearance in second practice was delayed while Mercedes repaired his car, which was heavily damaged by F1 newcomer Antonelli, 18, after a collision with a wall during the first session. Russell joined the session 26 minutes late, focused on race preparation over lap time. Despite this, he managed to secure sixth place after a late run on soft tyres. Both Russell and Hamilton reported having overly hot seats in their Mercedes on the sweltering heat.
Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, and Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll rounded out the top 10.
Williams’ Franco Colapinto continued his F1 debut, replacing the recently released Logan Sargeant for the last nine races of the season, before Carlos Sainz becomes Alex Albon’s permanent teammate in 2025. The Argentine locked up early in the second practice after sliding into the gravel at the end of the first, but overall performed well and was not significantly outpaced by Albon.
Italian GP FP2 Results
2024 Italian Grand Prix FP2, 30 August 2024
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