The second free practice session of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix provided racing fans with plenty of action as Lando Norris bounced back from recent struggles to set the fastest time. The McLaren driver looked right at home on the high-speed Jeddah street circuit, while Yuki Tsunoda’s evening ended prematurely after a significant crash.
As the sun set over Jeddah, track conditions began to mirror what drivers will face during Sunday’s race. With air temperatures around 82°F and track temperatures reaching a scorching 100°F, teams got to work gathering critical data for the weekend ahead.
A missing rookie and early track action
The session started with disappointing news for Gabriel Bortoleto fans. The rookie driver was unable to participate due to a fuel leak that mechanics couldn’t fix in time for FP2. Meanwhile, the rest of the grid wasted no time getting on track, all starting on medium compound tires.
McLaren came to Saudi Arabia with fresh upgrades, primarily focused on their diffuser design. In an interesting split test strategy, these new components were initially fitted only to Oscar Piastri’s car, with the team planning to analyze data from both configurations before making decisions about race setup.
The battle for top times heats up
Max Verstappen laid down the first competitive lap time of 1:29.896, but Norris quickly responded by going more than half a second faster. Charles Leclerc then slotted his Ferrari between them with a 1:29.477.
The session saw its first yellow flag when Lance Stroll spun after locking his rear wheels, though he avoided contact with the barriers. In a separate incident, Alex Albon narrowly missed Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, prompting race control to note the close call for potential investigation.
Despite Red Bull’s reported difficulties, both Verstappen and Tsunoda showed impressive pace, holding fourth and fifth positions separated by just thousandths of a second midway through the session.
Switching to soft tires brings more speed
George Russell became the first driver to break into the 1:28s after switching to soft tires, posting a 1:28.973. Carlos Sainz briefly took over the top spot, just 0.031 seconds ahead of the Mercedes driver, before Verstappen reclaimed first place with a time four-tenths quicker than Sainz.
The final phase of qualifying simulations saw the McLarens truly flex their muscles. Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive 1:28.430 – faster than Verstappen’s 2024 pole position time of 1:28.472. But his teammate Norris wasn’t about to be outdone, first beating Piastri by a tenth, then improving even further to a session-best 1:28.267.
Pierre Gasly, who had topped the first practice session earlier in the day, couldn’t quite replicate that form but still maintained a solid eighth position. The Alpine cars showed less outright pace compared to their eye-catching FP1 performance.
Tsunoda’s session-ending crash
As teams switched back to medium tires for long-run simulations, several drivers flirted dangerously with the walls that make the Jeddah circuit so challenging. It was Tsunoda who eventually paid the price for pushing the limits too far.
The Japanese driver clipped the wall at Turn 27, losing control and crashing hard into the barriers. The impact brought out the red flag and effectively ended meaningful running for most teams, though some drivers did return to the track to practice start procedures once the session resumed.
Final standings and implications
When the checkered flag waved, the top three remained unchanged: Lando Norris led the way, followed by teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen in third. Pierre Gasly secured the eighth fastest time, while Isack Hadjar placed 12th and Esteban Ocon finished 19th.
What did you make of McLaren’s pace? The team’s strong showing with their upgraded package raises questions about whether they can maintain this form through qualifying and into Sunday’s race. (I’m wondering if we might see them challenge Red Bull’s recent dominance!)
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend continues with final practice and qualifying tomorrow. The high-speed nature of this circuit always produces thrilling action – and if today’s sessions are any indication, we’re in for an exciting battle at the front of the field.
