Lando Norris lit up Silverstone in Free Practice 2 for the 2025 British Grand Prix, clocking a session-best 1:25.816 to go quickest on Friday afternoon — a commanding lap that made him the only driver to dip below the 1m26s mark. With gusty conditions disrupting aero stability throughout the hour, the McLaren driver mastered the wind-swept circuit to finish 0.222s clear of Charles Leclerc and three-tenths ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who had topped FP1 earlier in the day.
What To Know?
- Norris Sets the Pace: Lando Norris topped FP2 with a 1:25.816, the only sub-1:26 lap of the session, ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton.
- Wind and Grip Issues: Gusty Silverstone winds caused headaches for drivers and engineers alike, with Sainz spinning and Verstappen struggling with front grip.
- Soft Tyre Sim Runs Reveal Form: FP2 saw the first soft tyre runs of the weekend, giving early hints of qualifying pace — McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes all in the mix.
It wasn’t a straightforward session. Silverstone’s famous high-speed corners became even more unpredictable thanks to strong crosswinds, with nearly every team caught out at some point. Carlos Sainz spun harmlessly at Luffield, Verstappen fumed over unresponsive front tyres, and multiple drivers — including Liam Lawson and Norris — battled traffic during their flying laps. Oscar Piastri briefly went quickest early on before being leapfrogged by Hamilton and an impressive Isack Hadjar, while Ollie Bearman reported heavy oversteer in his Haas.
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As the session evolved, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were the first to unleash the soft tyres. Russell initially jumped to the top before Antonelli bettered him with a 1:26.383 — but the time wouldn’t stand long. With most of the grid switching to qualifying simulations approaching the halfway mark, the times began to tumble. Leclerc surged to P1 despite complaining about his front-left tyre, only for Norris to deliver the lap of the day.
Hamilton briefly returned to second after aborting his first soft-tyre run, while Verstappen — still chasing form and performance — could only manage P5 after an earlier run left him eighth. At session’s end, Norris led the way, followed by Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Verstappen, and Antonelli. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Russell (Mercedes), Hadjar and Lawson (Racing Bulls) rounded out the top ten.
Elsewhere, Alex Albon was best of the rest in P11, just ahead of Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto, who was back in the Kick Sauber after sitting out FP1. Esteban Ocon placed 14th, with Tsunoda in 15th after returning from a session off, and Sainz 16th — under investigation for his rejoin following the Luffield spin. Nico Hülkenberg was 17th, while Alpine’s Gasly and Colapinto finished either side of Bearman at the foot of the standings.
2025 British GP FP2 Results
2025 British Grand Prix FP2, 4 July 2025.
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME / GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:25.816 | 26 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.222s | 29 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.301s | 29 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.470s | 27 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.498s | 23 |
| 6 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.567s | 28 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.614s | 24 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.707s | 27 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.708s | 27 |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.808s | 28 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +1.024s | 30 |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.060s | 24 |
| 13 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.088s | 27 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.125s | 26 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +1.164s | 25 |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.343s | 27 |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +1.349s | 29 |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.358s | 24 |
| 19 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.410s | 27 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.473s | 29 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 4 July 2025 – 6 July 2025
Race date: Sunday, 6 July, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 52
Circuit length: 5.891km
2024 winner: Lewis Hamilton
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