Austrian GP: Hyper quick Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top in FP2

A quick and determined Kimi Antonelli finished Friday’s second practice at the Red Bull Ring once again at the top of the timesheets, reinforcing Mercedes’ impressive start to the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

The championship leader found significant pace on the soft-compound tyres despite soaring track temperatures, eventually posting a benchmark lap of 1:07.014.

His Mercedes team-mate George Russell was unable to match that effort after locking up during his qualifying simulation, leaving him more than six-tenths adrift.

• Austrian Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

McLaren closest challengers

McLaren emerged as Mercedes’ nearest rival, with Oscar Piastri ending the session just over two-tenths behind Antonelli, with Lando Norris 0.325s adrift.

Max Verstappen slotted into fourth after an eventful afternoon that began with an unusual complaint over his seating position, forcing Red Bull mechanics to make adjustments before he returned to the circuit. The four-time world champion also voiced frustration over his car’s apparent lack of straight-line performance.

Lewis Hamilton split Verstappen and Russell in fifth, as Ferrari appeared less competitive in Spielberg on Friday’s opening day of running. Charles Leclerc, back behind the wheel after sitting out FP1, steadily built confidence to claim eighth place behind Isack Hadjar.

Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto, both absent from the first session, rounded out the top ten after productive afternoons.

Cadillac’s difficult Friday, however, continued. Sergio Perez suffered another stoppage less than 10 minutes into FP2, having already triggered the end of the opening practice earlier in the day.

Team-mate Valtteri Bottas also encountered trouble, returning to the pits after reporting smoke coming from the underside of his upgraded MAC-26, capping another frustrating session for the American outfit.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook