Second Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Austrian F1 Grand Prix

Event: Austrian F1 GP
Track: Red Bull Ring

Weather: Half cloudy & dry 25°C
Tarmac: dry  35°C
Humidity: 39%
Wind: 3.6 km/h South-East

McLaren Surges, Verstappen Lurks & Tensions Flare in Tight FP2 at Red Bull Ring

The Styrian hills were alive with the sound of Formula 1 this Friday, as Free Practice 2 for the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix delivered fireworks, frustration, and a fantastic pace battle between four top teams. While McLaren stole the headlines with an eye-catching one-two, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen quietly kept himself in the mix, despite some early-session drama in front of his orange army. Add a few gravel excursions, heated team radios, and a spicy Hamilton-Antonelli moment—and we’re cooking up a proper Spielberg thriller.

Let’s dive into the drama from FP2 at the Red Bull Ring.

⚡ Norris Strikes Back With FP2 Brilliance

After sitting out FP1, Lando Norris made up for lost time in style. The McLaren driver hit the track like a man on a mission, throwing down a blistering 1m 04.580s to top the timesheets—just two tenths shy of last year’s pole and a clear statement of intent.

Oscar Piastri, no slouch himself, backed up the papaya charge with a time just 0.157s adrift, locking out the top two. And they weren’t just quick on softs—both drivers showed promising long-run pace on hard and medium tyres, with Jolyon Palmer even wondering aloud if there’s some hidden horsepower in that McLaren package.

Let’s not forget: these two clashed in Canada. Sparks could fly again this weekend.

🏠 Verstappen: Not Dominant, But Dangerous

Max Verstappen’s home crowd came ready for another masterclass, but the Dutchman had a quiet start to FP2. Red Bull appeared slow to get going, with Verstappen lingering in the garage as setup changes delayed his initial run.

Once on track, however, he immediately jumped to third, just three tenths down—despite running on six-lap-old softs. That’s ominous. He clearly wasn’t pushing flat-out, and with trusted engineer Gianpiero Lambiase off this weekend (Simon Rennie is stepping in), it’s impressive that Verstappen’s rhythm is holding.

His five straight poles at this track suggest there’s plenty left in the tank.

🟠 Four Teams, One Tight Battle

It’s not just a two-horse race anymore.

Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren all showed flashes of front-running pace. George Russell, who topped FP1 earlier in the day, initially led FP2 with a 1m 05.229s, before being eclipsed by the McLarens.

Charles Leclerc had a scruffy session, including a trip through the Turn 6 gravel trap, but salvaged P5 late on to keep Ferrari in contention. Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda briefly snuck into the top five too, proving this midfield isn’t just filler—it’s ferocious.

💥 Hamilton & Antonelli Nearly Collide

The most dramatic moment of the session came courtesy of a potential generational clash.

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, on a hot lap, found Lewis Hamilton crawling on the racing line over a blind crest. The seven-time champ seemingly wasn’t warned of the Italian’s approach, forcing Antonelli to dart left onto the runoff.

The stewards are investigating the incident for impeding. Hamilton sounded rattled, his radio messages revealing frustration and a lack of confidence in the car. Not ideal prep for the Silver Arrows.

🚨 Alpine Woes & Williams Worries

It wouldn’t be F1 2025 without some head-scratchers in the garage. Pierre Gasly finished FP2 in a disappointing 14th, complaining of a mysterious car issue that Alpine will be scrambling to diagnose overnight.

Esteban Ocon spent much of the session stuck in the pits, meaning limited long-run data and valuable setup time lost for the French outfit.

Meanwhile, Williams went from top-10 hopefuls in FP1 to P16 and P17 in FP2. Both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz reported poor balance as the track rubbered in, suggesting that their Friday night setup meetings will run long into the Austrian evening.

🔧 Long-Run Takeaways & Tyre Talk

The latter half of the session saw teams shift to race simulations, with various compounds in play. Interestingly, Verstappen, Lawson, and Hamilton stuck with softs for their longer runs—possibly testing whether the C5 rubber might somehow survive Sunday’s stint demands.

However, with Sunday’s forecast looking much hotter than today’s mid-30°C conditions, it’s more likely that mediums and hards will be the strategic weapons of choice.

Still, it’s worth noting how consistently quick McLaren looked across all three compounds—a worrying sign for the chasing pack.

📈 Bortoleto Impresses Again

Gabriel Bortoleto, still point-less in 2025, continues to look more like a future star than a rookie under pressure. The Kick Sauber man slotted into P8, just 0.007s behind Verstappen. With a raft of upgrades on his car this weekend, this might be the breakout race he’s been waiting for.

Meanwhile, his rookie rival Franco Colapinto remained further down the order but will get another shot tomorrow.

🧼 Gravel, Grip & Growing Tension

Turn 7 caught out Ollie Bearman, who kicked up a plume of gravel before pitting to inspect the floor. Leclerc went lawnmowing, Norris flirted with the grass, and even the usually ice-cold Verstappen had to abort a run when Norris blasted past him up the hill in a cheeky overtake.

There’s no doubt—qualifying will be tight, tempers might flare, and traffic will be chaos on this short, technical layout.

🔮 What to Watch Tomorrow

Saturday is shaping up to be a classic:

• Can Norris stop Verstappen’s six-pole streak in Austria?

• Will McLaren hold onto their advantage as track conditions evolve?

• Can Ferrari or Mercedes close the one-lap deficit?

• And will Alpine or Williams finally get it together?

FP3 kicks off at 12:30 local time, with qualifying to follow in the afternoon. One thing is for sure: we’re in for a wild one in the Styrian hills.

Stay tuned to F1-Fansite.com for all the action, updates, and behind-the-scenes gossip from Austria. Because when the mountains echo with V6 engines, we listen.

FP2 Times Table 2025 Austrian GP

Last time the quickest lap time in FP2 was a 1:08.610 min set by Sainz  with the Ferrari F1-75.

✅ Check out our 2025 Austrian F1 Grand Prix preview.

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