Lando Norris leads a somewhat calm FP2 in Barcelona ahead of George Russell and teammate Oscar Piastri.
McLaren on good form
British driver Lando Norris missed out on FP1 earlier this afternoon due to Leonardo Fornaroli using his car for the session. However, Norris has very quickly settled into the weekend with a time of 1:15.426. With teammate Oscar Piastri in P3, Barcelona is certainly shaping up to be a weekend full of opportunity for McLaren.
Russell on the rise
After a strong outing in FP1 this morning where he topped the timing sheet, Russell ends his Friday in Barcelona in P2 in FP2. He set a time of 1:15.435, only +0.009 seconds off of Norris’ fastest time. Given the recent run of bad luck the Mercedes driver has been having, after a DNF in Canada and a point-less finish in Monaco, practice so far can provide Russell with the hope that something might just go his way this weekend.
Russell’s teammate Antonelli found himself on the back foot in practice. Antonelli finished the session in P5 after struggling with tyre degradation. A few other drivers reported similar issues, however it seemed to be most notable from Antonelli. The struggle with tyre management throughout FP2 for Antonelli could potentially act as a cause for concern for the young driver come Sunday’s race. As with most circuits on the European leg, the temperatures are hotter and so tyre management is crucial to any driver hoping for success.
Ferrari stuck in the middle
Lewis Hamilton finished FP2 in P9 after having some slight graining issues with his tyres, while also reporting over the radio that something felt wrong with the rear of his car. Whatever the issue was, it isn’t believed to be anything major.
Teammate Charles Leclerc finished in P4 after some strong laps, however he was unable to match the pace of the McLarens and Russell.
The rest of the grid
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson struggled this session after he came to a stop at the exit of the pit lane due to a gearbox failure. However, the team did actually manage to get his car back up and running. His teammate Arvid Lindblad had a strong session, ending up in P7.
Aston Martin are yet to escape their place at the back of the grid as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finished FP2 in P21 and P22 respectively. Cadillac weren’t much further ahead in P18 and P20. Lance Stroll was a whole 4 seconds off the pace of the front runners.
Feature image courtesy of Formula 1