Rain affected FP2 at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri claiming the fastest lap amidst sporadic track action while drivers waited for dryer conditions.
The session began quietly, with teams opting to stay in the pits to save their intermediate tyres, anticipating more rain over the weekend. Fifteen minutes in, Lewis Hamilton ventured out on medium tyres for a reconnaissance lap but returned shortly as the threat of more rain loomed.
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Daniel Ricciardo, having sat out FP1 for rookie Ayumu Iwasa to take the wheel, briefly emerged before confirming an uptick in rainfall, pausing track activity while spectators in the stands remained hopeful.
As the session reached its midpoint, Piastri took to the track on intermediate tyres, with a handful of drivers following suit as the track began to dry, although not enough for slick tyres.
Alex Albon was notably the only Williams, as the team repaired Logan Sargeant’s car from his FP1 crash. Most of the drivers completed exploratory laps, but Yuki Tsunoda, the home hero, was the first to set a time of 1m 40.946s, leading teammate Ricciardo by nearly a second.
In the last 10 minutes, with the track drying further, Valtteri Bottas and others, including the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, tested the soft tyres. Magnussen, however, noted the track was still too wet.
Piastri topped the timesheets with a 1m 34.725s lap on softs towards the end, sparking a wave of late attempts from drivers including Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, and Esteban Ocon.
Hamilton secured the second-fastest time, with Leclerc third, as earlier times by Tsunoda and Ricciardo fell to fourth and fifth, respectively, among a total of 13 timed laps, many of which were not indicative of true pace.
Notably absent from the session were Max Verstappen, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, the Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Mercedes’ George Russell, and Sargeant.
With the second practice session concluding quietly, teams will review the day’s data ahead of Saturday’s Free Practice 3 at 11:30 am local time, setting the stage for the afternoon’s qualifying round.
Japanese GP FP2 Results
2024 Japanese Grand Prix, 5 April 2024
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:34.725 | 7 | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:35.226 | +0.501s | 6 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:38.760 | +4.035s | 4 |
| 4 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:40.946 | +6.221s | 8 |
| 5 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:41.913 | +7.188s | 9 |
| 6 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | NTS | 7 | |
| 7 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | NTS | 7 | |
| 8 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | NTS | 5 | |
| 9 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | NTS | 4 | |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | NTS | 5 | |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | NTS | 3 | |
| 12 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | NTS | 3 | |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | NTS | 3 | |
| 14 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | NTS | 0 | |
| 15 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | NTS | 0 | |
| 16 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | NTS | 0 | |
| 17 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | NTS | 0 | |
| 18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | NTS | 0 | |
| 19 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | NTS | 0 | |
| 20 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | NTS | 0 |
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