Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit with a best time of 1m37.528s, but the surprise came from Isack Hadjar, who was just 0.099s adrift in second. The tight session saw the top ten covered by just over a second, setting the stage for a thrilling qualifying.
After a difficult opening session, Lando Norris bounced back to take third, just 0.038s behind Hadjar. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, who topped FP1, had to settle for fourth despite not using the soft tyres, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri in fifth and sixth.
Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were seventh and eighth, with Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten. However, the tight order didn't tell the full story, as differing run programs and neither Mercedes driver completing a clean representative qualifying lap masked the true pace.
With a heavy threat of rain hanging over the Bahrain International Circuit before the session, teams adjusted their plans. Most of the field headed out on mediums, although Gasly, Piastri, Norris, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez opted for softs. Verstappen quickly established the early benchmark on mediums with a 1m37.785s, already quicker than anyone else at that stage.
Attention then shifted to qualifying simulations. Mercedes brought its qualifying simulations forward with Russell and Antonelli switching to soft tyres earlier than usual. Neither driver was able to complete a clean representative lap; Antonelli ran wide before the back straight after going fastest through the middle sector, while Russell understeered badly at the final corner and crossed the pit entry bollard, forcing him into the pitlane.
The anticipated rain never arrived, allowing the rest of the field to continue their qualifying runs as conditions remained dry. Leclerc, Hadjar, and Norris then reshaped the order on fresh soft tyres, with Leclerc producing a 1m37.528s to take over at the top. Hadjar slotted into second, only 0.099s adrift, while Norris moved to within 0.137s of Leclerc, showing a much stronger turn of speed than McLaren had in FP1.
Hamilton also improved to fifth with a 1m37.833s, while Piastri ended up sixth to leave both McLarens inside the top six. Hamilton later reported being unable to see properly through his right-hand mirror, with the issue noted for investigation after the session. Verstappen remained fourth on his earlier medium-tyre lap, having elected not to complete a soft-tyre qualifying simulation.
With such a tight field, qualifying promises to be intense. Teams will be pushing to maximize their car's performance, and the unpredictable weather could be a deciding factor. Fans can look forward to an exciting battle at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Baca Juga
Max Verstappen mengambil keputusan tak biasa di FP2 F1 Malaysia dengan tidak menggunakan ban soft. Pembalap Red Bull itu memilih long run untuk mengantisipasi kemungkinan hujan.
Max Verstappen dan Charles Leclerc memimpin sesi latihan bebas F1 di Sepang. Simak hasil lengkap FP1 dan FP2 Grand Prix Bahrain di Malaysia.
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