P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Alonso beats Russell to lead FP2 for Aston Martin
The second one-hour session on Thursday in Jeddah was delayed by 10 minutes as the FIA checked the drain covers in the pitlane, but it ran smoothly under the lights, serving as the only representative practice night-time running before qualifying and the race. Oscar Piastri led the pack out of the pits in his McLaren, setting the initial benchmark time, followed by Valtteri Bottas who spun at Turn 1. Zhou Guanyu briefly took the lead before the Red Bull drivers surged ahead with impressive lap times. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez battled for the top spot, but were ultimately surpassed by Fernando Alonso’s strong performance on the mediums. Verstappen reclaimed the first position with a fast lap time, while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton faced challenges further down the grid. The session concluded with a focus on long-run data gathering, showcasing a competitive field led by Alonso’s impressive display.
