20/09/2024
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second session - which takes place in conditions similar to those expected in qualifying and for the race - the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 33 degrees. The sun has set.
As a reminder, as was the case in Baku, updates are few and far between. Red Bull has a new Front Corner. To attain more front brake material cooling, a larger exit duct has been designed and made to cope with the unique demands of this event. Ferrari has a new Front Wing. Not specific to this circuit, this front wing upgrade offers performance and downstream flow features improvements over a wider polar range.
As required by the track characteristics a more loaded Beam Wing has been designed by McLaren which efficiently increases overall aerodynamic load, while at Aston Martin a new Front Wing features a more aggressive flap with increased incidence mid-span. The increased aggression of the flap increases the load generated by the front wing to balance the rear wing level expected to be run at this event.
At Alpine the top rear wing has been reprofiled to increase rear wing loading with the aim of improving lap time at such a low efficiency track.
Williams has brought a new Front Suspension which sees the front wishbones, track rod and pushrod geometries updated along with minor updates to some of the brake duct surfaces, boot panels, and chassis leg fairings compliment the revised leg geometries. These changes condition the flow ahead of the surfaces that were updated for the Dutch GP. The revised onset flow helps deliver more local load from the previous update. The update is only available to Albon this weekend.
RB has a new Front Wing with increased camber & chord flap compared to previous components. This larger front flap increases the amount of overall load generated by the front wing assembly, to provide the balance range necessary for high-downforce, high-balance circuits.
Mercedes, Stake and Haas have not brought any upgrades.
Leclerc was quickest earlier, ahead of Norris and Sainz, but other than the unrepresentative conditions, teams were trying out upgrades and strategies.
The lights go green and Zhou leads the way, followed by Bottas, Tsunoda, Gasly and Russell. As in FP1, as more drivers head out the hards and mediums are the order of the day.
"My radio button gets stuck," reveals Verstappen as his teammate is shown the black and white flag for crossing the line at the pit exit.
Of the first wave, Albon goes quickest (33.632), ahead of Verstappen, Ricciardo, Russell, Colapinto and Ocon.
Norris goes top with a 33.608 but is demoted when Leclerc responds with a 32.788.
Magnussen goes sixth with a 33.711 as all twenty drivers are on track.
A 34.093 sees Alonso go tenth.
Under fire Ricciardo stops the clock at 32.652 to go top, as Antipodean former teammate Norris goes second (32.675).
Piastri goes seventh, ahead of Colapinto, Hulkenberg and Verstappen.
Leclerc and Sainz make it a Ferrari 1-2 as the Monza winner stops the clock at 32.627 and his teammate at 32.644.
As Gasly improves to ninth (33.185), Albon goes quickest in the opening two sectors, finally crossing the line at 32.238.
It looks like we're struggling with traction in Turns 7, 8, 9 and 13," Hamilton is told.
"Ah, I went off," reports Verstappen as Tsunoda goes second (32.582).
Russell goes second with a 32.365 but remains 0.127s off Albon's best.
Quickest in the first two sectors, Sainz fails to improve after losing time in S3.
No such issues for Leclerc who is quickest in all three sectors, posting a 31.665 to go top.
Sainz finally improves - though he's only quickest in S2 - the Spaniard posting a 31.930 t o go second.
Just over twenty minutes in and the softs begin to appear, Albon and Russell among the first to make the switch.
The Thai driver goes top with a 31.650, just 0.15s up on Leclerc.
"Massive understeer still," reports Hamilton.
Gasly goes fifth (32.222), but is demoted when Russell posts a 31.488 then Piastri a 31.474. Moments later Norris bangs in a 30.727.
A 31.667 sees Hulkenberg go sixth as Verstappen can only manage ninth (32.021).
Norris improves but remains second, just 0.087s off Norris' pace.
Still struggling, Hamilton can only manage 16th (33.200), the Briton clouting the wall in the process.
"I touch the wall at exit of Turn 14," admits Leclerc. "Not a big touch, just a slight one, but please check data."
Tsunoda goes third with a 31.468 but is demoted by Sainz (31.356).
Hamilton improves to eleventh with a 31.709. "It's unbelievable, mate," sighs the seven-time world champion.
With twenty minutes remaining, the focus shifts to longer runs.
"I hit the wall pretty hard," confesses Norris as Gasly is impeded by Perez. "We don't see anything in the data," he is told, "we'll just wait on a visual check."
Gradually the drivers ditch the softs in favour of the hards or mediums.
"There is something with the brakes that is strange," complains Sainz.
"The race runs have just started, so it's too early to know if we have the same pace as we have on the short runs," says Laurent Mekies, his drivers currently fourth and sixth. "The short runs look good, but it is only FP2. The balance was in the right window straight away in FP1, but at tracks like this with high evolution, you can't leave the car where it is, you have to anticipate the track evolution. It's in the sweet spot right now."
Like his teammate, Piastri has a close encounter with the wall, giving it a little kiss, as Bottas and Sainz appear to touch.
Norris heads down the escape road at Turn 14.
"If you're still doing management stop it now," Magnussen is told, "though I expect you're going flat-out now".
Russell is off at Turn 8, his nose buried in the barrier... the skid marks on the track behind him telling the story.
He is able to get back to the pits, albeit minus his front wing and his nose askew.
So, whereas in FP12 it was Leclerc and Norris this time around it is Norris and Leclerc, both well clear of the nearest opposition.
Mercedes and Red Bull are clearly struggling, this being a bogey track for the Austrian team, while RB has both cars in the top six.