Baku Blitz: Leclerc Edges Perez by Whisker in Thrilling F1 Practice Session

Charles Leclerc bounced back from his FP1 crash to dominate the second practice session at the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, edging out Sergio Perez by a mere 0.006 seconds. Despite initial concerns about his rebuilt Ferrari SF-24, Leclerc managed to set the fastest time of the session, showcasing his resilience and skill on the challenging Baku street circuit.

Leclerc's Comeback and Ferrari's Quick Repair

Ferrari's mechanics worked tirelessly to repair Leclerc's car after his Turn 15 incident in the opening practice session. Although the Monegasque driver initially expressed frustration with the car's handling, describing the steering as 'heavy,' he eventually returned to the track for a few exploratory laps on medium tires. Despite a brief off-track excursion at Turn 8, Leclerc regained his composure and delivered an impressive performance on soft tires, setting a blistering lap time of 1m43.484s.

Red Bull's Strong Showing

The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez demonstrated their competitive pace throughout the session. Verstappen initially topped the timesheets early on, but Perez soon outpaced his teammate with an impressive lap on medium tires. The Mexican driver continued to impress, setting a time of 1m43.490s on soft tires, which briefly held the top spot before Leclerc's late charge.

Ferrari and Mercedes in the Mix

Carlos Sainz showed strong form for Ferrari, setting the medium-tire benchmark and maintaining his position at the top of the order during the early soft-tire runs. Lewis Hamilton also impressed for Mercedes, setting a time just 0.06s behind Perez on used soft tires, highlighting the potential of the Silver Arrows in Baku.

Midfield Battle and Notable Incidents

Oscar Piastri led the charge for McLaren in fifth place, while his teammate Lando Norris struggled with traffic and could only manage 17th. Pierre Gasly's battery issues in his Alpine inadvertently impeded Norris during his hot lap attempt. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman made an impressive debut for Haas, finishing in the top 10 as he fills in for the banned Kevin Magnussen.

As the teams and drivers continue to fine-tune their setups for qualifying and the race, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises to deliver an exciting and closely contested battle on the streets of Baku.