Baku: Lewis Hamilton led a Ferrari 1-2 in Free Practice 2 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Lando Norris' session came to an early end after hitting the barrier.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Hamilton's time of 1m 41.293s placed him 0.074s ahead of Charles Leclerc in the final standings, while McLaren drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled and finished 10th and 12th respectively.

The session saw drivers pushing the limits, with Liam Lawson running deep at Turn 15 and Hamilton doing the same at Turn 7. Piastri, after resolving a power unit issue from the previous session, was quick to hit the track on soft Pirelli tyres, initially topping the times with a 1m 43.307s. However, as the track developed, times began to fall, with Norris' leading lap from FP1 soon surpassed.

Norris initially clocked the fastest time of 1m 42.199s, narrowly ahead of Leclerc. Leclerc, who has taken pole in the last four Azerbaijan GPs, showcased his skills again by being the first to break the 1m 42s barrier with a 1m 41.786s lap. Hamilton followed suit, eventually leading with a 1m 41.543s on medium tyres, presenting teams with a tyre strategy challenge for Saturday's qualifying.

Norris' session took a turn when he hit the wall at Turn 4, damaging his left-rear suspension. Though he managed to return to the pits, he did not rejoin the track. Piastri also ended his session prematurely after a minor incident with the Tecpro barrier at Turn 15, followed by precautionary checks.

As the session progressed, Leclerc reclaimed the top spot with a 1m 41.367s, only for Hamilton to seize it again with a 1m 41.293s lap on soft tyres, marking the fastest lap of the day with just over 10 minutes remaining.

George Russell ended up as the best of the rest, slightly under half a second behind Hamilton. He was followed by teammate Kimi Antonelli, Haas' Ollie Bearman, Max Verstappen of Red Bull, and Lawson of Racing Bulls. Esteban Ocon capped off a strong day for Haas in eighth position, followed by Alex Albon, Norris, and Carlos Sainz in the second Williams.

Piastri finished 12th but faced an investigation for a yellow flag infringement. The session order was completed by Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Franco Colapinto, with the latter two seconds off the pace.