Austrian GP FP2: Antonelli tops again as McLaren and Verstappen respond

Austrian GP FP2: Antonelli Stays on Top in Scorching Spielberg

Friday afternoon at the Red Bull Ring delivered more drama and heat as the Austrian GP FP2 session confirmed that Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull are all going to be fighting hard this weekend. Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets once again, but McLaren and Max Verstappen hit back hard. Here is everything that happened.

FP1 Recap: Mercedes Set the Tone

Before diving into FP2, a quick look back. Kimi Antonelli led the way in Free Practice 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix. In scorching temperatures, Mercedes re-established itself at the top of the time-sheets with Antonelli leading George Russell in a 1-2 for the team. Oscar Piastri was third fastest ahead of Max Verstappen, who recovered well from an early reliability problem.

It was a messy session for several drivers. A hydraulic leak kept reigning world champion Lando Norris out of his McLaren MCL40 until the final 15 minutes of the session. Max Verstappen’s session was also delayed by suspected clutch issues. He joined the action after 20-odd minutes on soft tyres, but said he was struggling with a lack of grip and feel in the heavily revised Red Bull RB22. You can read more about all the FP1 action in our Austrian GP FP1 full report.

The opening practice hour ended with a late red flag after Sergio Perez stopped on track, denying several drivers the chance to complete final soft tyre runs. That made FP2 all the more important.

Austrian GP FP2: Antonelli Leads, McLaren Push Back

When the pit lane opened for FP2, the heat was still intense. The air temperature was 31 degrees and track temperature was close to a mind-boggling 50 degrees. Getting the tyres to work cleanly was a real challenge for everyone. You can check out our earlier preview of the FIA heat hazard declaration for the Austrian GP weekend.

At the end of FP2, Antonelli was once more on top, ahead of the two McLarens, Verstappen, Hamilton, and then Russell. Hadjar, Leclerc, Lawson, and Bortoleto completed the top 10.

Antonelli established himself as the quickest man around the Red Bull Ring with 20 minutes to go. The Italian posted a 1:07.014 to move to the top of the timing board, ahead of Oscar Piastri by 0.237 seconds.

McLaren responded well after their difficult morning. Norris tried another lap on the softs, but couldn’t hang on during the middle sector as the tyres cried enough and the rear snapped at Turn 7. Despite that spin, Norris still showed strong pace and slotted in behind Piastri in the final order.

Verstappen’s race pace looked good on the long runs, sticking in the 1m10s on the mediums as the Ferraris seemed to be stuck in the 1m11s. That is a promising sign for Red Bull ahead of Sunday, especially with their major upgrade package at this race. Read more about Red Bull’s Austrian GP upgrade package.

Key Storylines from Friday

• Alex Albon had to stop in the pitlane after reporting “no power” during FP2.
• George Russell looked lost at sea in FP2, finding himself a considerable 0.725 seconds away from his teammate. Antonelli appeared to have unlocked good lap time at the Red Bull Ring while the same could not be said for his colleague.
• The Mercedes diffuser situation remained in focus too. Mercedes arrived in Austria with a revised diffuser after an FIA ruling.
• McLaren had not used its Macarena rear wing so far in practice, with eyes on whether it might appear later in the weekend. Check our piece on Norris and the McLaren Macarena wing saga for background.
• Antonelli, who leads the Drivers’ standings by 41 points, had posted a 1m 07.796s in FP1. He is clearly the man to beat this weekend.

What Comes Next at the Austrian GP?

Saturday brings Free Practice 3 and then qualifying at the Red Bull Ring. The gap between Antonelli, the McLarens, and Verstappen is small enough to make qualifying genuinely unpredictable. The Red Bull Ring always produces tight gaps, and with traffic, track limits and tyre preparation all in play, every lap will matter. Keep it locked to rnt-motorsports.com for full qualifying coverage.