Charles Leclerc topped FP2 in Melbourne, while Red Bull lacked pace. McLaren stayed strong, and Isack Hadjar continued his impressive start.
Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in the second free practice session at Albert Park, edging out the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Red Bull and Max Verstappen remained in the shadows, struggling to make an impact.
McLaren Strong, Verstappen Off-Pace
After Norris led FP1, the second session provided another hour of running in Melbourne. Haas was still repairing Oliver Bearman’s car after his heavy crash in FP1, leaving the young Brit sidelined for the session.
Liam Lawson caused a bit of chaos at the pit exit, jumping ahead of cars waiting for practice starts before slamming on the brakes—forcing Norris to take evasive action with two wheels on the grass. “He does whatever he wants,” his engineer remarked.
On track, Norris set the first benchmark with a 1’17″671 on mediums, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and George Russell. Verstappen made a small mistake early on, while Lewis Hamilton continued to struggle with understeer on his Ferrari SF-25.
Carlos Sainz, held up on his first attempt, watched as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll slotted into the top six around Oscar Piastri. But soon after, Russell went fastest on hard tyres with a 1’17″565, followed by Hamilton in sixth and Leclerc in third.
Sainz finally got a clean lap and took the top spot with a 1’17″302 on mediums. Meanwhile, Norris had a scare at Turn 3, sliding wildly, while Nico Hülkenberg ran into the gravel at Turn 6.
Leclerc and Hadjar Impress
Alex Albon placed his Williams in fifth, while Leclerc had to abort a fast lap after being held up by a Red Bull. Pierre Gasly also went off at Turn 3 but was more worried about his Alpine’s braking: “I can’t brake, I keep locking up.”
Russell got within a thousandth of Sainz’s time, while Hamilton slotted into third. Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, was down in 16th.
Finally, Leclerc nailed a clean lap and stormed to the top with a 1’16″794 on mediums, with Hamilton second, albeit 0.400s adrift.
Late-Session Shake-Up
Lance Stroll then went third on softs, but Tsunoda stole the show with a 1’16″784. The pecking order remained blurry, making Melbourne’s weekend even more unpredictable.
Piastri temporarily claimed third on softs, but Norris responded with a 1’16″580. Verstappen attempted a quick lap but aborted after a Turn 1 mistake.
By the halfway mark, Bearman had yet to hit the track, as Haas continued repairs. Verstappen’s first proper attempt on softs only placed him 10th.
Isack Hadjar, meanwhile, cracked the top five, continuing to impress. Jack Doohan slotted into 11th, just ahead of Verstappen. Stroll had a Turn 1 error, running through the grass, while Hamilton climbed to fourth on softs.
Leclerc wasn’t done yet, improving to 1’16″439 to reclaim P1. Piastri also found more speed, going second—17 milliseconds ahead of Norris.
Verstappen, struggling for pace, could only manage seventh, while Hülkenberg clocked an impressive lap to slot in behind.
Long Runs and… Ducks?
As usual, teams shifted focus to long runs in the second half of FP2. Russell and Antonelli tested hards, while most drivers worked on mediums. Others explored the soft tyre’s durability.
Russell had a moment in the penultimate corner, missing his line and having to spin his car around—right next to a group of ducks wandering across the track.
Session Wrap-Up
As the session wound down, most drivers switched to mediums, except for Mercedes, still on hards, and Gasly, running softs. Bearman never made it onto the track, meaning he’ll head into Saturday on the back foot.
Leclerc ended the day on top, with McLaren’s Piastri and Norris right behind. Tsunoda claimed fourth, followed by Hamilton and Hadjar, who delivered another top-10 finish.
Verstappen finished seventh, with the Red Bull RB21 looking far from dominant. Hülkenberg, Stroll, and Russell rounded out the top 10. Sainz and Albon followed, ahead of Alonso, Doohan, and Gasly. Antonelli was 16th, with Lawson, Bortoleto, and the Haas pair of Ocon and Bearman behind.
Now, teams will dig into the data from Day 1 in Melbourne, while we bring you full driver reactions and the latest updates from the paddock.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:16.439 | 32 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:16.563 | 30 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:16.580 | 30 |
| 4 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:16.784 | 29 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:16.859 | 31 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:17.019 | 30 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:17.063 | 22 |
| 8 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:17.161 | 24 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:17.279 | 28 |
| 10 | George Russell | Mercedes W16 | 1:17.282 | 30 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:17.302 | 30 |
| 12 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:17.302 | 28 |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:17.330 | 27 |
| 14 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:17.394 | 30 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:17.493 | 30 |
| 16 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W16 | 1:17.634 | 31 |
| 17 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:17.640 | 30 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:17.847 | 29 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:18.034 | 31 |
| 20 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | – :—.— | 0 |
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FP2 F1 2025 – Leclerc Leads as Red Bull Struggles FP2 F1 2025 – Leclerc Leads as Red Bull Struggles
