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Formula 1 Saudi Arabian GP

F1 Saudi Arabian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2

Thursday's action from the second round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Max Verstappen dominated the F1 season opener in Bahrain last week in a Red Bull 1-2, but can the world champions follow it up at a very different track in Saudi Arabia?

Focus remains on Red Bull for off-track ongoings too, following Jos Verstappen’s calls for team principal Christian Horner to step down.

First practice begins at 1:30pm GMT (4:30pm local time) followed by second practice at 5pm GMT (8pm local time).

By: James Newbold, Sam Hall

Stopped
Summary
  • Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso tops FP2 with a 1m28.827s, 0.230s quicker than Mercedes' George Russell, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third
  • FP2 begins following a delayed start. The FIA had to check some bolts on drain covers in the pitlane
  • Verstappen quickest in Saudi Arabian GP first practice from Alonso and Sergio Perez
Leaderboard
  1. Alonso, Aston Martin
  2. Russell, Mercedes
  3. Verstappen, Red Bull
  4. Leclerc, Ferrari
  5. Perez, Red Bull
  6. Stroll, Aston Martin
  7. Sainz, Ferrari
  8. Hamilton, Mercedes
  9. Gasly, Alpine
  10. Piastri, McLaren
Breaking news
And like that, Thursday in Saudi Arabia is complete. How will these results shape Friday and qualifying? Join us tomorrow to find out. 

But until then, it's goodbye from me, and you can recap all the action here with the full session report:https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-saudi-arabian-gp-alonso-beats-russell-to-lead-fp2-for-aston-martin/10584452/
Checkered flag
And there's the chequered flag. Alonso tops FP2 from Verstappen and Russell.
Into the final minute. We'll have practice starts on the grid after the chequered flag falls.
Mechanical problem
A moment there for Hamilton who has been complaining about the rear of his Mercedes. At Turn 22, he loses the back and runs off the track. 

But it's worse. "I've got no power," he reports, and pulls back into the pits.
With all the usual caveats, Alpine looks to be having a better day than it enjoyed in Bahrain, with Gasly ninth, although Ocon is 15th.
Looking at the times, Haas look in a bit of trouble over a single lap with Magnussen and Hulkenberg 17th and 18th. Williams - Albon 14th and Sargeant 16th - also look to have some difficulties.
Into the final 18 minutes now and it appears that the hot laps are done with. The fuel has been put in, the medium and hard rubber bolted on, and it's time for some race simulations.
Sainz has now complained about slow drivers, after being the subject of complaints himself already. Irony.
Stopwatch
Russell improves up to second with his last lap. A 1m29.057s puts him 0.23s off Alonso.
Quote
"A mess. It's so dangerous," says Alonso. 

"**** Tsunoda," says Russell. 

Drivers lapping slowly are causing serious concern for their rivals. Expect a race director's note tomorrow morning!
Not on fresh tyres, but Verstappen and Leclerc both register improved times to go second and third, but leaving Alonso with a three-tenth advantage at the top.
We've seen a return of porpoising or bouncing already this weekend with Russell, Hamilton and now Norris all complaining.
Perez goes third and 0.473s off the pace. Three-tenths of that came in sector one. There is work to be done.
Stopwatch
Purple sector one...
Green in sector two...
Purple in sector two and a 1m28.827s for Alonso to go to the top by seven-tenths.
With the track cleaned up, here come the soft tyres. Bottas is the first of the latest bunch to put in a time and leaps up to seventh.
Hamilton will be investigated after the session for impeding Sargeant.
Completing his tenth lap of the session, Ricciardo improves to go seventh-fastest. He's still on the soft tyres, a set banked by not running the compound in FP1.
Stopwatch
A purple first sector, personal best middle and a slower final sector combine to put Verstappen back to the top of the times with a 1m29.543s. He's 0.017s ahead of Alonso.
And like that, race control have noted the incident involving Hamilton.
A huge moment for Sargeant there. On a hot lap, he came across Hamilton and Sainz, with the former lapping incredibly slowly and holding up traffic. No indication that this will be looked at by the stewards.
Stopwatch
But there's Alonso in the other Aston Martin. A 1m29.846s pushes him to the top by over three-tenths.
Stopwatch
Ocon goes to sixth as Stroll splits the Red Bulls, going second and just 0.011s shy of Perez's best.
A moment for Russell at Turn 9 as he runs off the track. Possibly, he was simply pulling out of the way of Ocon, who was on a flying lap.
Ricciardo and Tsunoda have bucked the trend already and have pitted the soft rubber. Ricciardo is fourth, 0.354s back, and Tsunoda sixth, 0.678s back.
Stopwatch
Medium tyres are the favoured early options before the likely qualifying simulations much later on in the hour. Verstappen set the early pace but has just been bettered by 0.02s by team-mate Perez with a 1m30.427s.
A spin at Turn 1 already for Bottas in the Sauber. The Finn locked the rears while carrying far too much speed into the corner. 

Unlike his braking, his spin-turn for perfection!
Carlos Sainz has been feeling unwell with a stomach bug. He'll be wanting this hour to disappear as quickly as possible so he can get back to his hotel and focus on his recovery.
And here come the rest to join the McLaren drivers on the track.
Lights green
Piastri leads team-mate Norris to the end of the pitlane as the lights go green and the action begins!