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?
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.
17:07- FERRARI NEWS: Gearbox change for Lewis Hamilton following issues in FP1
17:00- THE SESSION BEGINS!
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, McLaren