P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell unexpectedly topped an intriguing second practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Max Verstappen, tipped as favorite to sweep the weekend af…
In an unexpected turn, Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell topped the second practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Hamilton set the fastest time of 1m30.374s on soft tires, with Russell just 0.206s behind. Max Verstappen, the preseason favorite, struggled in sixth place, nearly half a second off the pace. Fernando Alonso took third for Aston Martin, while Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri completed the top five for Ferrari and McLaren respectively. Verstappen’s Red Bull showed promise in race simulations, hinting at untapped potential. Nico Hulkenberg impressed with Haas’s first competitive lap, narrowly behind Verstappen in seventh place. The session saw a close battle among the top 10 drivers from six different teams, including a noteworthy performance from Albon for Williams in 11th.
