Azerbaijan GP Second Practice Session: Leclerc Leads After Early Crash, Perez Second
Charles Leclerc topped the charts in the second practice session of the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez in second and Lewis Hamilton finishing third.
The session began in sunny and warm conditions in the afternoon. Max Verstappen was one of the first drivers on track, opting for soft tires, but he quickly returned to the pits and switched to medium compounds, as did many other drivers.
Leclerc initially set the fastest time with a 1:45.812 lap, but Verstappen quickly overtook him with a 1:45.563. Soon after, Sergio Perez went purple in all three sectors, taking the lead with a 1:44.598 lap.
Leclerc reported issues with his car over the radio and requested to return to the pits for adjustments.
After 20 minutes, the top five were Sainz, Perez, Hamilton, Verstappen, and Albon. As the session reached its midpoint, many drivers switched to soft tires. At that point, the top five were Sainz, Piastri, Verstappen, Hamilton, and Perez, with Perez’s time being the only one set on medium tires.
With 26 minutes left, Leclerc missed a corner and went into the run-off area, briefly causing yellow flags.
The session, largely uneventful aside from brief yellow flags due to drivers running off track, saw Leclerc, Perez, Hamilton, Sainz, and Piastri rounding out the top five with five minutes remaining.
In the final minutes, George Russell was called back to the pits after being informed of an issue with his car. An incident where Sainz impeded Perez was also put under investigation.
No one managed to beat Leclerc’s time by the end of the session, leaving him as the fastest. Perez, Hamilton, Sainz, Piastri, Verstappen, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Russell, and Bearman completed the top 10.
