Baku Breakdown: Key Takeaways from Friday's Practice Sessions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Manish
Charles Leclerc's early setback in FP1 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was quickly overcome as Ferrari bounced back in the second practice session. The Monegasque driver's crash into the wall at Turn 15 during the first hour threatened to derail the team's weekend, but a strong showing in FP2 put Ferrari back on track.
Leclerc Tops FP2 Timesheet
Despite initial concerns about his car's handling after the crash, Leclerc managed to set the fastest time in FP2 with a lap of 1m43.484s. This narrowly edged out Red Bull's Sergio Perez by just 0.006 seconds, showcasing Ferrari's competitive pace on the Baku street circuit.
Red Bull's Mini-Revival
Perez's strong performance in FP2 hinted at a potential turnaround for Red Bull after a challenging start to the 2024 season. The team brought a new floor to Azerbaijan, hoping to address recent balance issues that have plagued their car in low-speed corners.
McLaren's Struggles
While Ferrari and Red Bull showed promise, McLaren appeared to struggle with the low-grip conditions in Baku. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri faced difficulties, with Norris expressing disappointment in the team's performance relative to their competitors.
Long Run Analysis
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz posted the fastest average time during medium-tyre long runs in FP2, followed closely by Red Bull's Perez and McLaren's Piastri. However, Mercedes' data remains inconclusive as they focused on hard-tyre runs during the session.
Driver Reactions
Perez expressed optimism about Red Bull's progress, while Lewis Hamilton felt positive about Mercedes' performance. Norris, on the other hand, acknowledged McLaren's significant gap to the front-runners and the work ahead to improve their pace.
As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend continues, the battle between Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes looks set to intensify, with McLaren hoping to close the gap to the leading teams. Saturday's final practice and qualifying sessions will provide further insight into the true pecking order on the challenging Baku street circuit.
