The first day of the 2024 F1 Saudi Arabian GP FP2 ended with Fernando Alonso on top of the timesheets. In a car that looked completely hooked to the track, the Spaniard put together a lap that was out of reach of everybody else. He was followed by Mercedes driver George Russell in P2, who also had an impressive lap himself.
In P3, we had Max Verstappen in his Red Bull. The Dutch driver ended FP1 on top, but FP2 was slightly different as he couldn't clinch the top position. The track has its challenges, but one thing that stands out is how fast the cars are around the circuit. If following the cars is not too much of an issue, we could see some interesting action in the F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
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With the running on the first day now done and dusted, what did we learn? Let's take a look.
2024 F1 Saudi Arabian GP FP2: What did we learn?
#1 Aston Martin's single-lap pace has some serious trade-off
We learned that Aston Martin looks stunningly fast over a lap. There's a major trade-off for it, however, and it became clear as soon as Fernando Alonso started doing his long runs. The car ate through its tires like it was nobody's business, and the Spaniard's lap times dropped like a stone. The team needs to fine-tune the setup because the team can't run this for the F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
#2 Red Bull struggles a bit with bringing the tires up to temperature
While Verstappen's long runs were stunningly brilliant, it did appear that the car took a few laps to get the tires up to temperature. As a result, while the car is going to be a menace in the F1 Saudi Arabian GP, it might not be the same beast over a lap.
#3 Mercedes and Ferrari lead the chasing pack
McLaren still appears to lack a little overall on a single lap, while Aston Martin has clearly gone too aggressive over a lap. It does leave Mercedes and Ferrari behind Red Bull.
Early impressions do show that both Mercedes and Ferrari appear to have something good under the hood. It's not a Red Bull beater for now, but it gives the teams an opportunity to at least put something together for the F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
#4 Haas might not suit the track in Jeddah
Haas had a very good run of form in Bahrain, where the slow speed section and traction zones were the areas where one could gain lap time. The F1 Saudi Arabian GP appears to be challenging for the cars in the high-speed sections and top speed. On the first day of running, the car did not look as equipped as it was in Bahrain.
#5 Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez are yet to be comfortable in their respective cars
Sergio Perez had a good rhythm in FP1 but seemingly lost his way in FP2. The single lap was just not there, and he struggled compared to Max as well. Starting in the pack is never a good idea, and the driver might be looking at overnight improvements.
For Lewis Hamilton as well, the car has not looked hooked up at all, and the driver has struggled. The F1 Saudi Arabian GP has never been his favorite venue, and that does appear to be playing a role this time around as well.
