Antonelli leads Leclerc and Hamilton as Lindblad crashes in red-flagged Madrid FP2
Kimi Antonelli set the pace in Free Practice 2 at the Madring, leading Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as a late red flag interrupted the session following a crash for Arvid Lindblad.
Antonelli’s 1:34.428 put him at the top of the timesheets during the opening stages, before Max Verstappen lowered the benchmark to a 1:34.378. The Mercedes driver ultimately reclaimed P1 on the soft compound to finish the session ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton.
Oscar Piastri ended FP2 in seventh, while Lando Norris was unable to complete a representative run after McLaren encountered a gearbox issue.
McLaren suffer early setback
McLaren’s FP2 programme was disrupted before the session had properly begun, with Norris forced to return to the garage after reporting false neutrals and severe shifting issues.
The problem appeared to be software-related initially, but Norris was subsequently forced out of the car while McLaren prepared for a gearbox change.
Piastri, meanwhile, was able to participate after McLaren resolved the brake well issues that had affected his car earlier in the weekend.
Piastri initially showed strong pace on the medium compound, setting purple sectors during his opening runs before dropping down the order as the field improved.
The Australian later switched to the soft compound, becoming the first driver to complete a representative soft-tyre run. He went quickest in Sector 1 before losing time through the remaining sectors, eventually recording a lap good enough for P4.
Piastri was unable to improve on a subsequent soft-tyre attempt and remained seventh by the end of the session.
McLaren appeared less balanced than Racing Bulls during parts of the session, with Piastri struggling to extract the same performance from the car through the latter sectors.
Antonelli and Ferrari fight for top spot
Mercedes and Ferrari established themselves at the front during the opening runs, with Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton trading the fastest times.
Antonelli initially set a 1:34.428, with Piastri 1.018 seconds behind in P2 at that stage. Leclerc subsequently moved within 0.001 seconds of the Mercedes driver before Antonelli reclaimed the top position.
Verstappen also featured near the front, eventually setting a 1:34.378 to move into P1.
Hamilton reported struggles with the front end of his Ferrari, while Russell focused on setup changes throughout the session, including a front-wing adjustment.
Russell also aborted his initial soft-tyre run before later returning to the circuit.
By the conclusion of the session, Antonelli had returned to the top of the timesheets, followed by Leclerc, Hamilton, Lindblad, Russell, Verstappen and Piastri.
Turn 17 catches out multiple drivers
Turn 17 proved problematic throughout the session, with several drivers running wide or making contact at the corner.
Oliver Bearman made contact with the barriers at Turn 17 during the early stages, while Piastri also ran off circuit later in the session at a blind corner. The McLaren driver was forced to abandon the lap but confirmed that everything was okay.
The biggest incident came late in the session when Racing Bulls rookie Lindblad lost control and went into the wall.
Lindblad had been running strongly throughout FP2, briefly moving into P2 behind Leclerc after setting a purple Sector 1.
The incident brought out a yellow flag before the session was subsequently red-flagged.
Lindblad reported that he was okay following the crash.
Alonso returns after pre-session clutch failure
Fernando Alonso’s participation in FP2 was initially in doubt after Aston Martin encountered a clutch failure ahead of the session, with the car undergoing significant work in the garage.
Alonso was eventually able to take part, completing laps during the session and finishing P20.
Lance Stroll also encountered technical issues with his Aston Martin during FP2.
Medium-tyre running dominates opening stages
All drivers initially focused on the medium compound, with significant graining observed across the circuit.
The degradation provided teams with an important opportunity to assess the medium tyre ahead of Sunday’s race, while the later soft-tyre runs offered a clearer indication of qualifying pace.
Racing Bulls continued to show competitive pace throughout the session, with Liam Lawson briefly moving into the top five before later reporting a lack of rear grip.
Yuki Tsunoda also encountered traffic during his runs, backing out of one lap after Hamilton impeded his progress.
Red flag interrupts final runs
Following Lindblad’s crash, FP2 was halted with a red flag.
Alpine were among the first cars to return to the circuit following the restart, while Mercedes initially appeared cautious with a particularly slow pit exit.
Verstappen reported that his steering felt very heavy after the restart, although the issue was subsequently confirmed to be manageable and Red Bull elected to keep him on track.
Antonelli struggled to improve on his final soft-tyre run, recording yellow sectors across the lap, but his earlier benchmark remained enough to secure the top position.
Leclerc also failed to improve during the closing stages, while Piastri abandoned another lap after running off circuit at a blind corner.
FP2 classification
Antonelli topped the session with a 1:34.428, followed by Leclerc and Hamilton.
Lindblad’s early pace was enough to secure fourth despite his late crash, with Russell fifth and Verstappen sixth.
Piastri finished seventh, ahead of Tsunoda, Ocon and Lawson.
The session leaves Mercedes and Ferrari looking competitive heading into Saturday, while McLaren face further work overnight after Norris’ gearbox problems and Piastri’s struggles with balance through the final sectors.
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