During the second free practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lando Norris had a tense moment on track with Pierre Gasly. As Norris was on a fast lap, pushing hard to improve his time, he nearly collided with Gasly, who did not make way for the British driver. This unexpected situation left Norris visibly frustrated, as it almost disrupted his practice momentum. He was also seen showing his middle finger to Gasly.
Gasly, driving for Alpine, later explained over team radio that he was experiencing issues with his car's battery, which impacted his ability to respond quickly to the approaching Norris. The incident sparked concerns about coordination and communication on track, especially in the high-stakes environment of a fast street circuit like Baku.
Here is the video:
Meanwhile, it was Charles Leclerc who led the way during FP2, topping the timesheets for Ferrari. Despite a difficult start to the session, including pitting early due to complaints about "bent" steering—damage caused by a crash during FP1—Leclerc managed to recover. After taking a trip through the escape road and fixing his issues, the Monegasque driver clocked the fastest lap with just under 15 minutes remaining in the session.
Sergio Perez goes fastest on Soft tyres!
Leclerc finished just 0.006 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, with Lewis Hamilton close behind in third place, a mere half-tenth behind Perez. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured fourth place, followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in fifth, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished sixth, over half a second down on his teammate Perez.
Sainz, however, faced his drama later in the session, being involved in a late incident with Perez. The Mexican driver voiced his frustration over team radio, complaining that Sainz had impeded him in the high-speed approach to Turn 16. As tensions built ahead of the race, these incidents highlighted the intense nature of practice sessions, where even the smallest miscommunications can lead to dramatic moments on track.