After a disjointed FP1 session, FP2 of the 2025 Azerbaijan GP at the Baku City Circuit was also eventful, with drivers frequently brushing walls, running wide, and testing the limits of their setups. In the end, Lewis Hamilton led the way for Ferrari with a 1:41.293, narrowly ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
We Go Green
Within the first 15 minutes, drivers struggled to find their braking references and tire operating windows. Hamilton and Ollie Bearman both ran long, Lance Stroll and Leclerc tagged the barriers, and several others locked up as the track remained green but tricky. With different fuel loads and tire compounds in play, the early order was scrambled; Gabriel Bortoleto briefly topped the timesheets, followed by Alex Albon and George Russell.
Ferrari Jump to the Top
As the session developed, Leclerc jumped to the top with a 1:41.786, only to be toppled by Hamilton’s 1:41.543. With 40 minutes left, the top five were Hamilton, Leclerc, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Isack Hadjar, and they were covered by less than a second. With just around 32 minutes left in the session, all cars were back in the pits for setup tweaks before Norris, Sainz, Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Albon, Esteban Ocon, and Stroll led the next wave back onto the track.
McLaren’s Rough Outing
The drama ramped up when Norris clipped the wall at Turn 4 with just under 30 minutes remaining. The hit broke his left-rear suspension, forcing him to crab his McLaren back to the pits slowly. While Race Control briefly faced questions about the safety of his return, the session remained green. Shortly after, Oscar Piastri also brushed the tech-pro barriers at Turn 15, though his car appeared relatively undamaged. Both incidents capped a frustrating afternoon for McLaren.
The Final Minutes
Leclerc reclaimed P1 on Softs with a 1:41.367, but Hamilton responded late with the quickest time overall. Russell, not wanting to be outdone, set the fastest first sector before clipping the wall and having to retreat to the pits for checks. He recovered and was able to keep P3. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed again with P4, just 0.486s off Hamilton.
Elsewhere, Alpine endured a miserable day, with Pierre Gasly mired in 16th and Franco Colapinto in last place, over two seconds down. Aston Martin fared little better, Fernando Alonso stuck in P19 and Stroll in P17 after tagging the wall earlier.
Closing Thoughts and Looking Ahead
Between wall brushes, offs, and lockups, the 2025 Azerbaijan GP FP2 session highlighted how tricky Baku can be when tire windows and set-ups aren’t dialed in. Ferrari and Mercedes appear strong, while Red Bull, particularly Max Verstappen, showed flashes of potential. McLaren and Aston Martin, however, have plenty of work ahead before qualifying. FP3 will give teams one last chance to fine-tune before Saturday’s all-important shootout.
Tune in tomorrow for FP3 and Quali, at 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. track time.
Feature Image Credit: EverythingF1
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