Antonelli leads 2nd free practice at the Austrian GP; Bortoleto is 10th
Mercedes once again demonstrated strength in track work this Friday (26), at the Spielberg Circuit, Austria, for the Formula 1 GP. Kimi Antonelli, owner of the best time in the first activity, repeated the feat by clocking 1min07s014 in the second free practice, being the fastest. This time, McLaren stood out, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris close behind. Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto finished 10th.
Antonelli's performance confirmed the good pace of the German team, but the strong presence of McLaren with Piastri in second and Norris in third indicates a tighter dispute for the rest of the weekend.
The Italian's teammate, George Russell, was unable to maintain the pace of the previous session, where he had been second fastest, and finished FP2 in sixth place. He was behind Max Verstappen (fourth) and Lewis Hamilton (fifth).
Bortoleto recovers and enters the top 10
Gabriel Bortoleto, who did not participate in the first training session and gave up his seat to Paul Aron, started the second session with a lap time of around 1min10s. The Brazilian had difficulty getting a good performance out of his Audi, fluctuating in the intermediate classification, but managed to recover to set the 10th best time.
Problems persist for Cadillac
Sergio Pérez once again faced problems with his Cadillac. At turn six, the car lost power and stopped, just as had happened in the first free practice. The driver needed the help of track inspectors to push the vehicle and abandoned the session.
The Mercedes, faster in the first session, encountered stronger competition from McLaren in the first half of FP2. Lando Norris led with 1min08s, but a slip in the corner took him to the escape area. Soon after, Antonelli lowered the mark and took the lead.
Winner of the last GP in Barcelona, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton with his Ferrari was unable to enter the fight for the top positions, reaching at most fifth place, just behind Max Verstappen's Red Bull.
Cadillac had another incident with Valtteri Bottas. The Finn took his single-seater to the pits with difficulty, and sparks of fire were visible on the floor of the car. When stopping, mechanics had to use a fire extinguisher to contain a fire.
Next sessions
The drivers will return to the track this Saturday for the last free activity before qualifying, scheduled for 12pm (Brasília time). On Sunday, the main race starts at 10am.
Check the results of the 2nd free practice session of the Austrian GP:
- Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes), 1min07.014
- Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren), 1min07.251
- Lando Norris (ING/McLaren), 1min07.339
- Max Verstappen (HOL/Red Bull), 1min07.564
- Lewis Hamilton (ING/Ferrari), 1min07s611
- George Russell (ING/Mercedes), 1min07s637
- Isack Hadjar (FRA/Red Bull), 1min07s758
- Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1min07s855
- Liam Lawson (NZL/Racing Bulls), 1min08s235
- Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Audi), 1min08s300
- Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), 1min08s376
- Arvid Lindblad (ING/Racing Bulls), 1min08s378
- Oliver Bearman (ING/Haas), 1min08s532
- Nico Hülkenberg (ALE/Audi), 1min08s559
- Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas), 1min08s830
- Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine), 1min08s831
- Alexander Albon (TAI/Williams), 1min08s838
- Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams), 1min09s131
- Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin), 1min10s544
- Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin), 1min10s698
- Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Cadillac), 1min11s317
- Sergio Pérez (MEX/Cadillac), no time
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Source: CNN