Kimi Antonelli dominates the second free practice session in Austria; the Ferraris are far behind
Kimi Antonelli reaffirmed his excellent rapport with the Austrian Grand Prix circuit and finished at the top of the timesheets in the second free practice session. The young Mercedes driver not only stood out with his fast lap but also impressed during race simulations, demonstrating a consistent and competitive pace. Max Verstappen also demonstrated consistency, albeit to a lesser extent, while George Russell and the two McLarens alternated between strong performances and less convincing stints.
The situation at Ferrari is more complicated. The Maranello team continues to struggle both in qualifying setup and in simulations with heavy fuel loads. The car remains stable and precise through the corners, but it still lacks the speed needed to consistently contend for the top positions. The Prancing Horse’s engineers must quickly find the right setup ahead of qualifying and the race.
In terms of lap times, Antonelli clocked a time of 1’07″014, ahead of the two McLarens driven by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who were 0″237 and 0″325 behind, respectively. Verstappen took fourth place in his Red Bull (+0″550), followed by Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari (+0″597), who posted the best result among the Ferraris.
Behind the seven-time world champion was George Russell (+0″623), while Charles Leclerc finished only eighth, 0″841 behind the leader. Rounding out the top ten were Isack Hadjar, a surprising seventh in the Red Bull, and Liam Lawson, ninth ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto.
The trends emerging from FP2 seem to favor Mercedes and McLaren, with Verstappen always ready to join the battle at the top. Ferrari, on the other hand, will have to work through the night to close a gap that, at least for now, appears evident in both single-lap pace and race pace.
Final FP2 Standings:
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1’07″014
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0″237
Lando Norris (McLaren) +0″325
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0″550
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0″597
George Russell (Mercedes) +0″623
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0″744
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0″841
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1″221
Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +1″286
Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1″362
Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +1″364
Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1″518
Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) +1″545
Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1″816
Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1″817
Alexander Albon (Williams) +1″824
Carlos Sainz (Williams) +2″117
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +3″530
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +3″684
Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) +4″293
Sergio Perez (Cadillac) s.t.
