The sun has now set in Bahrain and the many LED lights along the circuit are on. This means that we will now race under the same conditions as we will race on Sunday. So this is the last chance to feel how the car reacts at this time. In addition, the teams will want to practice for qualifying at the end of the 2nd free practice in Bahrain.
Several drivers saved the soft tires for this training during FP1. This way, the data engineers can see whether the tires with red lines are interesting for the race and what the speed is over one lap. After the first fast laps, Lewis Hamilton is proudly at the top. He rides a 1.30.374. It can be even faster, because during the test days Carlos Sainz clocked a 1.29.921.
What can we conclude after the 2nd free practice in Bahrain?
We have now seen all the cars doing a fast lap on the soft tires. Of course we don't know anything for sure and we are not allowed to know how much gasoline they have with them. But with the information we now have, we can draw a tentative partial conclusion. At least, about the speed over one lap.
Red Bull Racing seems to have more competition in qualifying than we thought in advance. The Mercedes in particular is performing well. Hamilton and Russell do not complain about the balance, which has been different in recent years. McLaren, Aston Martin (or yes, Fernando Alonso) and Ferrari also look good over one lap, but not as strong as Mercedes.
Behind the top five there is nothing for a while until you meet Williams and the Racing Bulls. Despite the new name and new colours, Sauber is still performing as mediocre as before. Bottas and Zhou hang at the back of the field together with Alpine, which has suffered a major dent, and Haas. But that's just the forecast. Tomorrow at 6 p.m. we will find out to what extent this conclusion makes sense.
Results of the 2nd free practice for the 2024 Bahrain GP
- Hamilton
- Russell
- Alonso
- Sainz
- Piastri
- Verstappen
- Hulkenberg
- Stroll
- Leclerc
- Pérez
- Albon
- Ricciardo
- Sargeant
- Magnussen
- Tsunoda
- Gasly
- Bottas
- Ocon
- Zhou
- Norris
What time does F1 start in Bahrain?
Friday March 1
3rd free practice: 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Qualification: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Saturday March 2
Race: 4:00 PM
#FP2 #Bahrain #Mercedes #surprises #friend #foe #fastest #times