The pace shifted again at the Red Bull Ring as Lando Norris led a McLaren one-two in Friday’s second practice session for the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix, lighting up the timing screens with a commanding 1:04.580 on soft tyres. The British driver picked up where rookie Alex Dunne left off in FP1 and firmly placed McLaren at the top of the pecking order heading into the weekend. Oscar Piastri trailed by just 0.152s in second, while Max Verstappen slotted into third, despite using two fresh sets of softs and dealing with setup tweaks in the RB21. McLaren’s early form signalled they were ready to challenge deep into Sunday.
What To Know?
- McLaren dominate FP2: Norris sets fastest time (1:04.580) ahead of teammate Piastri and Verstappen.
- Drama in the pack: Leclerc goes off-track, Hamilton struggles for pace, and Antonelli dodges a slow-moving car.
- Standout rookies again: Bortoleto goes P8 for Kick Sauber; Dunne returns seat to Norris after his FP1 heroics.
While Norris wasted no time stamping his authority on the session — even setting the early pace on medium tyres — others found FP2 more complicated. Charles Leclerc, finally back in the Ferrari after sitting out FP1, ended up in the gravel at Turn 6. Kimi Antonelli narrowly avoided a slow-moving Lewis Hamilton at Turn 4 in a heart-stopping moment of traffic miscommunication. Hamilton, who closed the session P10, later admitted over the radio he was struggling for pace in the SF-25.
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Lance Stroll, continuing his post-surgery resurgence, put in a strong showing with P4 for Aston Martin, ahead of Leclerc, Russell, and Yuki Tsunoda, who came within four-tenths of Verstappen. Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto again impressed, finishing eighth for Kick Sauber, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Hamilton. Behind them, Antonelli landed P11, while Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar followed in the Racing Bulls camp. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the first driver more than a second off Norris’ benchmark, while Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and Ollie Bearman populated the midfield.
Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto brought up the rear, with the German voicing his discomfort over the radio late in the session: “I’m not feeling the love.” With just a few tenths separating much of the field, FP2 wrapped up with more questions than answers — and a clear statement from McLaren.
2025 Austrian GP FP2 Results
2025 Austrian Grand Prix FP2, 27 June 2025
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME / GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:04.580 | 35 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.157s | 35 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.318s | 24 |
| 4 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.442s | 32 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.610s | 32 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.649s | 34 |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +0.712s | 31 |
| 8 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +0.831s | 31 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.877s | 31 |
| 10 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.931s | 34 |
| 11 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.957s | 35 |
| 12 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.963s | 31 |
| 13 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.967s | 34 |
| 14 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.033s | 36 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.118s | 31 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +1.185s | 37 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.234s | 37 |
| 18 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.255s | 35 |
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +1.338s | 35 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.596s | 34 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 27 June 2025 – 29 June 2025
Race date: Sunday, 29 June, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Red Bull Ring
Laps: 71
Circuit length: 4.318km
2024 winner: George Russell
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