Kimi Antonelli secured the fastest time in the second free practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit today. The Mercedes driver led a Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in an interrupted session. This marks the inaugural Formula 1 weekend in Madrid.
Antonelli posted a lap of 1:33.662s, narrowly outpacing Leclerc by 0.113 seconds. Hamilton finished third, just 0.149 seconds adrift of Antonelli’s benchmark time. The session saw drivers pushing the limits on the challenging new track.
The session was red-flagged following an incident involving Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad. Lindblad crashed at Turn 13, bringing a temporary halt to proceedings. He had been running an impressive fourth fastest before the impact.
The Madring, officially Circuito de Madring, is a 5.414-kilometre hybrid street circuit featuring 22 corners. It is built around the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid and hosts its first Formula 1 event this weekend. The circuit combines public roads and purpose-built sections.
Track temperatures reached 52°C during the session, contributing to the challenging conditions. Drivers reported difficulties with grip and navigating the narrow, concrete-lined sections. Turn 17, a right-hander, proved particularly problematic for track limits.
McLaren’s Lando Norris experienced significant gearbox issues, forcing him to end his session prematurely in the garage. Fernando Alonso also faced problems, missing the start of FP2 due to a clutch issue sustained during practice starts in FP1.
Antonelli voiced frustration over traffic, specifically with Sergio Perez, who went off track. Hamilton also had a close call with a wall and reported a lack of front-end grip on his Ferrari.
The top ten in FP2 were completed by Lindblad, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, and Liam Lawson. Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, had previously topped the first free practice session earlier today.
The full classification for the second free practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix is as follows:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:33.662s
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.113s
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.149s
4. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.228s
5. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.337s
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.401s
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.538s
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) +1.096s
9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.205s
10. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) +1.276s
11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1.297s
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1.398s
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +1.508s
14. Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.541s
15. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +2.224s
16. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +2.629s
17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +3.118s
18. Alex Albon (Williams) +3.274s
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) +3.533s
20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +3.611s
21. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) +4.065s
22. Lando Norris (McLaren) — no time
