Daily News 19

Tag: FP2

  • McLaren confirms gearbox issue as Lando Norris misses FP2 ahead of Spanish Grand Prix: ‘A big setback’

    McLaren confirms gearbox issue as Lando Norris misses FP2 ahead of Spanish Grand Prix: ‘A big setback’

    McLaren have confirmed a gearbox issue sidelined Lando Norris for the entirety of Free Practice 2 at the Spanish Grand Prix, with Technical Director for Performance Mark Temple describing the lost running as “a big setback” for the reigning World Champion.

    Norris Limited to Two Laps in FP2

    Drivers and teams sampled the new Madring layout for the first time on Friday. The circuit’s hybrid configuration—part street circuit, part purpose-built facility—presented an immediate challenge, making every minute of track time critical for data gathering. Norris completed only two laps in the second session before pulling his MCL39 into the garage with a mechanical problem that the team could not resolve before the checkered flag.

    McLaren Response: Focus on FP3 Recovery

    Speaking after the session, Temple outlined the scale of the deficit and the plan for Saturday’s final practice hour.

    “Gearbox problem for Lando, that’s obviously a big setback for him,” said Mark Temple, McLaren’s Technical Director for Performance, after the session. “Going into FP3 we’ll be trying to do as much as we can to give him back track time.

    “It was as expected, a very technical, tough track for the drivers, trying to find their way and learn the track. Deal with the very hot temperatures on the tyres. For sure track time for Lando will be very important tomorrow.”

    Mixed Friday for McLaren

    The British driver had shown competitive pace earlier in the day, finishing sixth in FP1—just under nine tenths adrift of George Russell’s pace-setting Mercedes. By contrast, team-mate Oscar Piastri completed a full programme, ending the day seventh and eighth across the two sessions as he worked to master the new venue.

    Piastri Highlights Balance and Tyre Management Struggle

    The Australian identified car balance and thermal management as the primary hurdles on a layout that demands a compromised set-up for both straight-line speed and high-speed corners.

    “I felt like we got a bit closer in FP2, which was good, but we’re still lacking a bit of pace it seems,” he said.

    “We’ll try and improve, it’s been an interesting day learning a new circuit. It’s certainly tough to get on top of but it’s been a day full of learning. Hopefully we can find a bit more tomorrow.

    “Trying to extract the performance on a street circuit like this is pretty challenging. That’s the biggest thing for us at the moment. Hopefully tomorrow we can make things a bit easier and find just a bit more consistency and a bit more ability to get that time out of the car.”

    With Norris facing a compressed preparation window in FP3, McLaren’s priority shifts to maximizing his limited running ahead of qualifying, while Piastri’s data will be crucial for refining the baseline set-up on a circuit where tyre temperature and consistency are proving decisive.

  • F1 Spanish GP FP2: Kimi Antonelli Tops Tricky Session as Arvid Lindblad Crashes

    F1 Spanish GP FP2: Kimi Antonelli Tops Tricky Session as Arvid Lindblad Crashes

    Kimi Antonelli Leads FP2 at Spanish Grand Prix as Mercedes Shines in Madrid

    Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli topped the second practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix on Friday, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the challenging new Madring circuit in Madrid. The championship leader set the benchmark early and improved steadily as track conditions evolved, ultimately posting a 1m33.662s on soft tyres to lead the timesheets.

    Tricky Madrid Layout Tests Drivers from the Outset

    The 5.4-kilometre hybrid layout — combining street sections with a purpose-built high-speed loop — proved difficult to master from the opening session. With virtually no runoff areas, teams adopted a cautious approach in FP1, prioritising rhythm and muscle memory over outright pace. That conservatism carried into the early stages of FP2, though lap times began to tumble as grip levels improved.

    Antonelli set the initial pace on medium tyres with a 1m34.428s, only for Max Verstappen to briefly take over before the Mercedes driver responded with a 1m33.926s. Turn 17 emerged as a particular flashpoint, with multiple drivers running wide on exit and triggering track-limits violations.

    Soft-Tyre Runs Shuffle Order Before Red Flag Halts Action

    The session intensified at the halfway mark as most drivers switched to the soft compound, which proved demanding to keep in its optimal temperature window under sustained lateral loads. Antonelli again set the reference with his session-best 1m33.662s. Team-mate George Russell slotted in just a tenth behind, while Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc followed in third and fourth.

    Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad delivered an eye-catching performance to sit fourth before his afternoon ended abruptly. The British rookie slid into the barriers at Turn 13, a medium-speed left-hander, bringing out the red flags with 25 minutes remaining. Lindblad escaped unharmed, but the TecPro barrier repairs consumed the remaining session time, freezing the order at the top.

    Norris Sidelined by Gearbox Issue; Home Heroes Struggle

    McLaren endured a difficult Friday. Reigning world champion Lando Norris completed just two laps before a transmission issue forced him into the garage for a gearbox change, leaving Oscar Piastri as the team’s sole representative in seventh. Meanwhile, local favourites Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso finished 16th and 17th respectively, with Alonso’s start delayed by a clutch problem on his Aston Martin.

    Spanish GP FP2 Classification – Top 10

    1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1m33.662s
    2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
    3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
    4. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
    5. George Russell (Mercedes)
    6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
    7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
    8. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)
    9. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
    10. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)

    Tsunoda, making his third appearance of the season while Isack Hadjar recovers from a wrist injury, impressed in eighth. Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson rounded out the top 10.

    With the Madring circuit continuing to evolve and tyre management critical, Saturday’s final practice and qualifying sessions promise further shifts in the competitive order.