Austrian Grand Prix: McLaren at the top of the timesheets, a lot of work done by the teams

Only a few minutes after the start of the session, Liam Lawson encounters an issue with his car. He complains of an erratic steering wheel « If I let go of the wheel, the car veers to the right ». It seems that the power steering might be the cause. The New Zealand driver is already heading back to the pit lane. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, are back in their seats after having made way for the rookies in FP1.

The top teams: Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari are all bringing upgrades this weekend. Their testing program is therefore very extensive for these three practice sessions. While the new rear wing was fitted on Antonelli’s car for FP1, both cars are equipped with the old wing for FP2. The Ferraris seem to be struggling. Charles Leclerc complains about not being able to brake at the first corner, while Lewis Hamilton announces on the radio that he has no pace.

Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton nearly collide. The Briton was in the rookie’s path and did not see him coming. He apologizes with a small wave of the hand.

At mid-session, Norris and Piastri are leading the timesheets, followed by a surprising Lance Stroll and George Russell, who seems to be in good form. However, the rest of the weekend is expected to be more challenging for the Mercedes on this track, where the heat, abrasive asphalt, and fast corners do not suit their car.

Isack Hadjar is also benefiting from a few changes to his car and is doing laps and pit stops to fine-tune the settings. The Frenchman experienced his first disappointing weekend in Montreal and is counting on this weekend to aim for the top 10.

After fitting new tires, Max Verstappen, until now discreet, sets his first fast laps and records the 3rd best time of the session. Conversely, the Williams, which were in the top 10 this morning, seem less competitive with the 16th and 17th times. Is it due to a focus on long stints rather than fast laps, or are the cars being caught in terms of performance? Tomorrow’s qualifying session will allow us to answer this question.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished first and second on the timesheet for this session, ahead of Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll, and Charles Leclerc.

Free Practice 2 standings.