In a surprising turn of events for the 2024 Formula 1 season, Fernando Alonso led the pack with Aston Martin during the second practice session of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, leaving Mercedes’ George Russell and Max Verstappen trailing in his wake.
Coming off a modest ninth-place finish in the season opener Bahrain Grand Prix, Alonso demonstrated formidable speed in Jeddah’s first practice, ultimately dominating the second practice with a leading time of 1:28.827 under the evening lights.
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Russell secured second spot, trailing by 0.230 seconds, while Verstappen, who clinched a commanding win at Bahrain, was a close third with the leading Red Bull car.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed fourth, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Alonso’s teammate at Aston Martin, Lance Stroll.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton found himself in eighth position, lagging by 0.677 seconds, and later faced scrutiny from the stewards for potentially hindering Logan Sargeant during a precarious moment in the session.
Hamilton, on a slower lap through Turn 10, inadvertently obstructed Sargeant’s faster lap, forcing the latter to swerve sharply to avoid a collision. Sargeant expressed his frustration over the team radio, criticising the move as excessively risky.
Hamilton explained over the Mercedes team radio that he was unaware of Sargeant’s lap, attempting to make way for Carlos Sainz when he unexpectedly encountered the Williams driver.
Sainz, who was closely tailing Hamilton during the incident, remarked on the perilous nature of Hamilton’s positioning, indicating that it nearly caused an accident with Sargeant.
This episode was among multiple close calls in a session characterised by its narrow, blind corners and the circuit’s enclosed walls.
Saudi Arabian GP FP2 Results
2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, 7 March 2024
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:28.827 |
| 2) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.230 |
| 3) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.331 |
| 4) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.353 |
| 5) Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.473 |
| 6) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.509 |
| 7) Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0.628 |
| 8) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.677 |
| 9) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.701 |
| 10) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.767 |
| 11) Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +0.839 |
| 12) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.931 |
| 13) Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | +0.950 |
| 14) Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.962 |
| 15) Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.074 |
| 16) Logan Sargeant | Williams | +1.107 |
| 17) Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +1.158 |
| 18) Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +1.250 |
| 19) Daniel Ricciardo | RB | +1.261 |
| 20) Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | +1.326 |
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