Grand Prix of Australia – Free Practice 2: Charles Leclerc leads the McLaren duo, Hadjar impresses

The rain is expected in F1 for the Grand Prix, but only on Sunday. Until then, the drivers cannot really prepare for wet conditions, as the track remains dry and the sky seems undecided between sunny and rainy. The weather is mixed, with 24°C in the air and around 40°C on the track.

Different rear wing setups across teams

Teams opted for different aerodynamic settings this Friday in Melbourne. Some, like Ferrari and McLaren, chose high downforce with a steeply angled rear wing. Others, like Alpine, seemed to favor less downforce, leading to higher top speeds at the cost of rear-end stability. In previous years, more aerodynamic load indicated better grip in corners. Will this setup still be effective in 2025?

Charles Leclerc fastest on soft tires

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of 1:16.482, which was eight-tenths faster than in FP1. Achieving this lap on soft tires, the Ferrari driver started his qualifying preparation on a strong note. The gaps are tight, with only nine-tenths separating the top 13 drivers. Any slight margin, late braking, or minor mistake immediately affects track position.

Leclerc edged out Oscar Piastri by just a tenth, with Piastri himself ahead of his teammate by only 17 thousandths. Surprisingly, a Racing Bulls car, driven by Yuki Tsunoda, secured P4.

Isack Hadjar impresses

While Yuki Tsunoda claimed fourth place in practice, his teammate, French driver Isack Hadjar, finished sixth and impressed many. Hadjar has had very limited running in F1 compared to other rookies. He remained composed and, so far, has not made any errors. He had a scare during a flying lap when he encountered a slow-moving McLaren in the middle of the track, but he kept his cool. A solid start to the Grand Prix weekend for Isack Hadjar.

Haas struggling

Unfortunately for Esteban Ocon, the second practice session did not yield more promising results than the first. While Ollie Bearman was unable to run due to his heavy crash in FP1, Ocon did take to the track. However, he remained at the back of the field for most of the session, just as he did in the morning. During winter testing, Haas focused on long runs with heavy fuel loads. The true potential of the Haas has yet to be seen, but in this session, the team did not shine.

Alpine lacking aerodynamics and brakes

On the radio, Pierre Gasly complained about brake issues with his Alpine. The results are not encouraging for the French team, with only the 14th and 15th fastest times. Jack Doohan twice posted quicker lap times than his teammate today. Alpine’s car is completely stripped of aerodynamic load to prioritize top speed on the straights, but this comes at the cost of cornering grip.

The classification of Free Practice 2 of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix