FP2 in Austria: McLaren Dominate, Rivals Trail Behind

27 June 2025

FP2 in Austria: Norris and McLaren fly, but times “not entirely representative”. Stroll surprises in fourth, Leclerc fifth, Hamilton tenth, Antonelli eleventh

The second free practice session is underway in Styria. At the stunning Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, FP2 of the Austrian Grand Prix takes place. Is everyone chasing Mercedes?

FP2 in Austria: Featured in the photo – Alexander Dunne, standout performer in a McLaren this morning

In the morning session, it was Russell who topped the timesheets, narrowly ahead of Verstappen and a tenth up on Piastri. Leclerc and Norris returned to action after being replaced by Beganovich and Dunne earlier in the day.

FP2 LIVE

18:00- The lap times from most teams appear unrepresentative, but McLaren seems to have Mercedes as its only true rival, especially in race pace. Lando Norris looks in excellent form. Ferrari appears slightly lost in qualifying trim but shows promise on longer runs. Here’s the final order:

Norris 1:04:580
Piastri 1:04:737
Verstappen 1:04:898
Stroll 1:05:022
Leclerc 1:05:190
Russell 1:05:229
Tsunoda 1:05:292
Bortoleto 1:05:411
Alonso 1:05:457
Hamilton 1:05:511

17:50- McLaren remains cautious, while Mercedes impresses significantly. Keep an eye on Sauber as well !

17:45- Race simulations underway

17:41- Verstappen sits third, three-tenths off. Leclerc is fifth, Russell sixth. Stroll remains a surprising fourth

17:33- McLaren looking dominant.
Norris and Piastri, separated by just 157 thousandths, leave the field behind. Stroll remains third for now, though times are not entirely reliable at this stage

17:27- RUSSELL! George Russell clocks a 1:05.229. Awaiting the response from others in qualifying simulations.

17:25- Only 34 thousandths off Norris’s yellow-tyre time, running on Softs. Leclerc in sixth, Hamilton seventh

17:20- Red Bull closes the gap, but on Soft tyres. Max Verstappen is now just 217 thousandths behind Norris. Piastri holds third, 245 off the pace on white tyres. Leclerc struggling with his Ferrari, making several off-track excursions.

17:13- Norris leads with a 1:05.538, four-tenths ahead of Russell. Piastri is third, with Kimi Antonelli in fourth and Leclerc fifth, trailing by seven-tenths.