Madrid FP2: Antonelli Fastest as Norris Misses the Session
Antonelli Goes Fastest
After George Russell topped FP1, it was Kimi Antonelli's turn to put Mercedes at the top in FP2. That means Mercedes have now topped both Friday practice sessions in Madrid. Russell — FP1. Antonelli — FP2. That's a seriously impressive start to the weekend. I already had Mercedes as one of my favourites coming into Madrid, and Friday has only made me more confident that they're going to be fighting for pole position but Mercedes aren't alone at the front…
Ferrari Are Getting Closer
Ferrari had another impressive session. Charles Leclerc finished P2, while Lewis Hamilton took P3. After finishing P3 and P4 in FP1, Ferrari have now moved even closer to the top and that makes qualifying very interesting. Mercedes still look like the team to beat, but Ferrari are definitely putting themselves into the conversation. If Leclerc and Hamilton can find a little more performance before qualifying, we could have a brilliant fight for pole.
Arvid Lindblad Crashes — But Still Finishes P4!
One of the biggest moments of FP2 came from Arvid Lindblad. Lindblad crashed at Turn 13 after losing control of his Racing Bulls, bringing out the red flag. Thankfully, he was okay. It's a frustrating mistake because every lap around a brand-new circuit is valuable but here's the crazy part…He still finished FP2 in P4! After finishing P7 in FP1, Lindblad has shown some seriously impressive speed around Madrid. Despite the crash, he's definitely been one of my standout drivers from Friday.
Russell Drops to P5
FP1 leader George Russell finished the second session in P5. Am I worried about him? Not at all. We already saw what Russell and Mercedes could do in FP1, and Antonelli going fastest in FP2 proves the pace is still there. I fully expect Russell to be back in the fight when qualifying arrives.
Max Verstappen Takes P6
Max Verstappen finished P6. It's another session where Max hasn't been right at the top, but I'm still not ruling him out. FP1 — P5. FP2 — P6. It might not look spectacular, but we know how quickly things can change once qualifying starts. If Red Bull can find more overnight, Max could suddenly become a serious threat.
A Mixed Session for McLaren
Now we need to talk about McLaren. Oscar Piastri finished FP2 in P7. That's one position better than his P8 result in FP1, although McLaren still don't appear to have shown the kind of pace we'd expect from them. Oscar was around half a second away from the fastest time. That's not an enormous gap, and there's still time to find performance before qualifying but Oscar wasn't the biggest McLaren story of FP2. That was Lando Norris.
Lando Norris Misses FP2
Lando didn't set a single lap in FP2. McLaren had to make a gearbox change, which meant Norris missed the entire session. At a brand-new circuit, that's far from ideal. Every lap helps a driver understand the braking points, bumps, tyres and limits of the track. Oscar now has more experience around Madring, while Lando has lost an entire practice session. That puts a lot more importance on FP3. The good news is that Lando was P6 in FP1, so we've already seen some pace from him but Saturday morning has now become crucial. He needs to get out there, complete plenty of laps and rebuild his confidence before qualifying.
Madrid FP2 Top 10
Here's how the top ten finished:
P1 — Kimi Antonelli 🥇
P2 — Charles Leclerc
P3 — Lewis Hamilton
P4 — Arvid Lindblad
P5 — George Russell
P6 — Max Verstappen
P7 — Oscar Piastri 🧡
P8 — Yuki Tsunoda
P9 — Esteban Ocon
P10 — Liam Lawson
Meanwhile, Lando Norris ended the session without setting a time. Definitely not something I expected heading into FP2!
Another Tough Session for the Home Drivers
It was another difficult session for the Spanish drivers. Carlos Sainz finished P16, with Fernando Alonso in P17. That's not what the Madrid crowd will have wanted to see. There's still FP3 to come, though, and hopefully both drivers can find something overnight and move further up the field before qualifying.
Have My Predictions Changed?
After FP1, I said I was keeping the faith with McLaren. After FP2? I'm starting to get slightly more nervous. Not because I suddenly think McLaren are slow. The bigger concern is that Lando has now lost an entire session while Mercedes and Ferrari continue gathering data and showing strong pace. Right now, Mercedes remain my favourites for pole. Antonelli looks quick. Russell looks quick. Ferrari are right there and Max Verstappen is still waiting in the background. For McLaren, I think FP3 is going to tell us a lot.
Lando Needs a Strong FP3
Lando's job in FP3 is pretty straightforward. Get laps on the board. There's no need to immediately chase P1. Get comfortable with the car. Learn the circuit. Work on the setup. Build confidence. Then start pushing. If Lando gets plenty of running and starts climbing the timing screens, I still think he can put himself into the fight during qualifying but McLaren really can't afford to lose any more track time.
On the Pitwall Verdict
After Friday in Madrid, Mercedes look like the team to beat. Russell topped FP1. Antonelli topped FP2. Ferrari look increasingly dangerous. Max Verstappen hasn't shown his full hand yet. Arvid Lindblad has been one of the surprises of the weekend despite his FP2 crash. Oscar Piastri still has some performance to find. And Lando Norris? FP3 just became one of the most important sessions of his weekend. Friday hasn't been perfect for McLaren, but there's still plenty of racing to come and if we've learned anything from Formula 1…Never judge a weekend entirely by Friday practice. So, who do you think gets pole position? Antonelli? Russell? Leclerc? Hamilton? Verstappen? Or can Lando come back after missing FP2 and put himself into the fight? Let me know your predictions!
On the Pitwall
Lights out. More to talk about.
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