Kimi Antonelli strikes back in FP2 as Madring claims first victim

Kimi Antonelli hit back in Friday's second practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, topping the timesheets at the Madring ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton — responding directly to George Russell's FP1 pace for Mercedes.

Why it matters:

The Mercedes-Ferrari duel at the sharp end is taking shape, but the bigger story from FP2 was disruption. Arvid Lindblad's heavy crash brought out the first red flag of the F1 weekend, while Lando Norris lost almost the entire session to a gearbox failure — leaving both camps with significant work before qualifying.

The details:

• Antonelli's benchmark: The Mercedes driver's 1:34.4s lap moved him over a second clear of the early Ferraris, with Leclerc and Hamilton slotting into P2 and P3.
• Lindblad's shunt: The Racing Bulls driver was P4 before losing the rear at Turn 13 and slamming sideways into the barriers, heavily damaging his car and ending his afternoon.
• Norris sidelined: A gearbox false neutral forced McLaren to change the unit on the MCL40, costing the reigning champion the rest of the session.
• Alonso's late start: The clutch issue from FP1 carried over, delaying his FP2 running, but he eventually got out and finished P17.
• Verstappen's troubles: The Red Bull driver had his best lap deleted for track limits and later reported heavier steering after the red flag.

What's next:

With both Friday sessions complete, attention turns to qualifying at the Madring. Norris and Lindblad will be playing catch-up, while Mercedes and Ferrari look set to resume their fight at the front.