{"id":23270,"date":"2024-03-07T14:16:13","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T19:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/saudi-arabian-gp-fernando-alonso-tops-practice-two-for-aston-martin-with-max-verstappen-third-f1-news\/07\/03\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-03-07T14:16:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T19:16:13","slug":"saudi-arabian-gp-fernando-alonso-tops-practice-two-for-aston-martin-with-max-verstappen-third-f1-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/saudi-arabian-gp-fernando-alonso-tops-practice-two-for-aston-martin-with-max-verstappen-third-f1-news\/07\/03\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabian GP: Fernando Alonso tops Practice Two for Aston Martin with Max Verstappen third | F1 News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Fernando Alonso put Aston Martin on top of the timesheets for the first time in the new 2024 Formula 1 season as the Spaniard and Mercedes’ George Russell both outpaced Max Verstappen in Practice Two for the Saudi Arabian GP.<\/p>\n

Alonso, who finished only ninth at last week’s season-opening race in Bahrain, had already impressed to go second-fastest to Verstappen in first practice around the high-speed Jeddah street track before setting the outright pace on a 1:28.827 in the second session under the floodlights.<\/p>\n

Russell was 0.230s back in second with Verstappen, the dominant victor at last Saturday’s season-opener, a further tenth adrift in the lead Red Bull.<\/p>\n

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, Alonso’s team-mate, to confirm Aston Martin’s strong start to the event.<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton was eighth, 0.677s off the pace, and faces a trip to the stewards after the session for allegedly impeding Logan Sargeant in a high-speed near-miss mid-way through the session.<\/p>\n

Hamilton was running slowly in his Mercedes on a cool-down lap and was going through Turn 10 when Sargeant came up rapidly on a faster timed lap behind him, with the American having to take avoiding action over the right-hand kerb to avoid a collision.<\/p>\n

“Mate, come on! It’s too dangerous,” said an unimpressed Sargeant over team radio.<\/p>\n

For his part, Hamilton said over Mercedes team radio: “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.”<\/p>\n

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Valtteri Bottas spins off track but manages to readjust during the second practice session in Saudi Arabia<\/span>
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Sainz, who had been following close behind Hamilton as Sargeant came up quickly behind both of them, said: “What Hamilton did there was super dangerous. Like he was in the middle, I couldn’t get out of the way.<\/p>\n

“Sargeant nearly crashed because of him.”<\/p>\n

That was one of several instances of near-misses during the session on the wall-lined circuit which features several blind corners, with a big differential in speed between drivers on fast and slow laps.<\/p>\n

More to follow\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

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Saudi Arabian GP Practice Two Timesheet<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Driver<\/b><\/th>\nTeam<\/b><\/th>\nTime<\/b><\/th>\n<\/thead>\n
1) Fernando Alonso<\/td>\nAston Martin<\/td>\n1:28.827\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2) George Russell<\/td>\nMercedes<\/td>\n+0.230<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3) Max Verstappen<\/td>\nRed Bull<\/td>\n+0.331<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4) Charles Leclerc<\/td>\nFerrari<\/td>\n+0.353<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5) Sergio Perez<\/td>\nRed Bull<\/td>\n+0.473<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6) Lance Stroll<\/td>\nAston Martin<\/td>\n+0.509<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7) Carlos Sainz<\/td>\nFerrari<\/td>\n+0.628<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8) Lewis Hamilton<\/td>\nMercedes<\/td>\n+0.677<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9) Pierre Gasly<\/td>\nAlpine<\/td>\n+0.701<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10) Oscar Piastri<\/td>\nMcLaren<\/td>\n+0.767<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11) Yuki Tsunoda<\/td>\nRB<\/td>\n+0.839<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12) Lando Norris<\/td>\nMcLaren<\/td>\n+0.931\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13) Zhou Guanyu<\/td>\nSauber<\/td>\n+0.950<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14) Alex Albon<\/td>\nWilliams<\/td>\n+0.962<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15) Esteban Ocon<\/td>\nAlpine<\/td>\n+1.074<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16) Logan Sargeant<\/td>\nWilliams<\/td>\n+1.107<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17) Kevin Magnussen<\/td>\nHaas<\/td>\n+1.158<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18) Nico Hulkenberg<\/td>\nHaas<\/td>\n+1.250<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19) Daniel Ricciardo<\/td>\nRB<\/td>\n+1.261<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20) Valtteri Bottas<\/td>\nSauber<\/td>\n+1.326<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sky Sports F1’s live Saudi Arabian GP schedule<\/h3>\n
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Friday March 8<\/strong><\/p>\n