Lewis Hamilton has topped the second practice at Bahrain, with his teammate George Russell closely trailing in second place.
The Silver Arrows claimed the one-two positions, and the fastest lap was set by the sevent-time world champion.
FP2 commenced with temperatures akin to those anticipated during the race and qualifying, differing from the warmer and windier conditions in FP1. All drivers initiated the session with qualifying practice, donning soft tires, and proceeded with consecutive fast laps. The standout performers during this session were the Silver Arrows, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell securing the top two positions on the timesheet, clocking respective times of 1:30.374 and 1:30.580, a mere two-tenths separating the teammates.
The standout performers during FP2 were the Mercedes and Aston Martin, with Fernando Alonso securing the third-fastest time at 1:30.660. In the qualifying lap practice, Verstappen presented a surprise by securing only the sixth position, while Leclerc encountered difficulties, aborting his lap multiple times, particularly at Turn 4. The Monegasque finished in ninth place with a time of 1:31.113. Additionally, Norris faced numerous challenges, experiencing problems and requiring a steering wheel change. Consequently, Lando Norris only managed to secure the 20th position.
Following the initial 35 minutes of FP2, primarily dedicated to qualifying simulations, the last 25 minutes focused on testing race pace. Soft tires were consistently used, and the gathered data provides insights for the remainder of the weekend. The scenario appears distinct from the previous year, with Ferrari and Mercedes closing in on Red Bull.
The race pace for all three teams hovered around 1:36, gradually increasing as the soft tires degraded. McLaren and Aston Martin also showcased competitive race paces, indicating potential glory for both British manufacturers. Despite the apparent closeness, Max Verstappen maintains a slight edge, and uncertainty prevails regarding those potentially employing lower engine maps.
Towards the lower end of the grid, Visa Cash App RB continues to deliver positive news, with Ricciardo and Tsunoda displaying an intriguing race pace. Notably, the Austrian secured the eleventh position during qualifying laps.
Conversely, Alpine continues to grapple with challenges, facing difficulties during qualifying laps and recording notably high times in long runs. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon posted times of 1:37.