Australian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2: Fernando Alonso leads a session shortened by rain
For this free practice session 2, rain joined in from the first 15 minutes of the session. Therefore, there was no real battle against the clock. In these conditions, Fernando Alonso set the fastest time ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen.
Let us remember that this track benefits from four DRS zones, which should allow for some great overtaking maneuvers during the race. However, there are only two detection zones. This means that a driver who has benefited from the first zone can then protect themselves or increase their lead.
Rain makes its appearance at the beginning of the session
Logan Sargeant had to abandon his Williams on the track at the end of the first free practice session. His car is still broken down at the start of free practice session 2, and the Williams mechanics are hard at work to get him back on track, but the American did not complete any laps.
All drivers get their bearings at the start of the session, but the temperature has dropped since Free Practice 1 and the weather is getting cloudy. Moreover, rain interrupts their momentum after fifteen minutes. It’s a light rain, but it confirms a track that has been declared wet.
At this moment, Fernando Alonso is in the lead ahead of Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Carlos Sainz.
Sergio Perez is the “unlucky” one of the day. He had the potential to be in the lead, but each fast attempt ended up being a failure, with the Mexican driver consistently running into another driver during the warm-up lap.
At the bottom of the ranking, Nyck de Vries appears to be struggling with the settings of his Toro Rosso. Just like Albon with his Williams and Magnussen with his Haas.
A session that won’t actually resume.
After half an hour, the track seemed to dry up, allowing the Ferrari to try a stint on soft tires. Unfortunately, the raindrops kept falling, completely thwarting our hopes of a comeback before the end of the session, despite Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly’s attempt to go out on intermediate tires. Max Verstappen even went as far as attempting a start at the end of the pit lane before confirming that the track was very slippery.
To finish, most drivers completed a few laps despite the persistent and intensifying rain. In fact, Lance Stroll nearly ended his lap against a wall, while others also provided us with some impressive slides.
The session rankings
| Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco | 1:18.887 | 13 | |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:19.332 | +0,445 | 10 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:19.502 | +0,615 | 12 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:19.672 | +0,785 | 20 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:19.695 | +0,808 | 12 |
| 6 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:19.725 | +0,838 | 12 |
| 7 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 1:20.083 | +1,196 | 15 |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:20.176 | +1,289 | 20 |
| 9 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:20.194 | +1,307 | 19 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:20.206 | +1,319 | 12 |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1:20.220 | +1,333 | 18 |
| 12 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 1:20.312 | +1,425 | 22 |
| 13 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:20.323 | +1,436 | 17 |
| 14 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:20.380 | +1,493 | 24 |
| 15 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 1:20.470 | +1,583 | 22 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco | 1:20.579 | +1,692 | 15 |
| 17 | Nyck De Vries | AlphaTauri | 1:20.600 | +1,713 | 8 |
| 18 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:21.182 | +2,295 | 18 |
| 19 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:21.266 | +2,379 | 18 |
