After his late arrival, Max Verstappen warmed up for the next win of the season at record speed.
The Formula 1 title defender and winner of the opening round also set the fastest lap in the faster second free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Verstappen in his Red Bull relegated Fernando Alonso to second place.
The 2005 and 2006 champion in the Aston Martin was 0.208 seconds off a harder and therefore slower tire compound. Third was Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth in the second hour-long session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Haas. In the first free practice he was 15th. “The midfield is pretty close together. Small things can have a big impact and make a big difference,” he had previously emphasized.
Verstappen in front, Alonso good again
In the first hour of practice, Verstappen, who won the six-kilometre, super-fast course a year ago, secured first place by almost half a second ahead of Perez and Alonso. After a gastrointestinal infection, the 25-year-old postponed his journey to the Middle East by one day and was not at the track on Thursday.
Behind the opening winner from the Netherlands, Alonso confirmed Aston Martin’s positive trend ahead of the second race of the season this Sunday (6:00 p.m. CET). The now 41-year-old Spaniard took third place in Bahrain almost two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, no massive improvement was seen at the former industry leader Mercedes. After fifth and sixth for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, they finished fifth (Russell) and eleventh at qualifying and race time in the evening. Two years ago, Hamilton won the premiere in Jeddah, it was the 103rd victory for the Brit. Since then, the 38-year-old has been waiting for the next one.