Aston Martin’s Alonso top in Saudi GP practice

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fastest in Thursday’s floodlit second practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen set the afternoon pace in FP1.

George Russell was second on the timesheets for Mercedes, 0.230 slower than Alonso’s one minute 28.827 second effort, with Verstappen third and 0.331 off the Spaniard’s best.

The second session was delayed briefly due to reported loose drain covers, a problem that beset testing in Bahrain last month and also in Las Vegas last November. This time the matter was swiftly resolved. Alonso had been second in the first session, 0.186 slower than triple world champion Verstappen’s 1:29.659.

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The second round of what is a record 24-race campaign is being held at Jeddah’s Corniche circuit on Saturday night, one day earlier than usual, to accommodate the start of Ramadan on Sunday night.

Alonso’s lap time compared with last year’s fastest in second practice, a 1:29.603 also by Verstappen on the soft tires.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth quickest in practice two after Mercedes’ George Russell had filled that position in the afternoon.

Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz took part in both sessions after feeling unwell on Wednesday but curtailed his media duties. The Spaniard was sixth and seventh respectively.

“The track, it’s like Mario Kart. There are plastic bags everywhere,” reported Leclerc over the team radio in the afternoon.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, last year’s winner in Jeddah, was third and fifth fastest.

The evening session saw Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll sixth, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton eighth for Mercedes, Pierre Gasly ninth for Alpine and Oscar Piastri 10th for McLaren.

Hamilton was summoned to stewards after the second session for apparently blocking Williams’ Logan Sargeant. “I didn’t realise someone was on a lap. I was trying to get out of the way for Sainz and all of a sudden there was a Williams there,” the Briton said over the radio.

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