Kimi Antonelli tops Spanish GP FP2 as Arvid Lindblad crashes at Madring

Kimi Antonelli set the pace in a scorching FP2 at the Madring, topping the timesheets with a 1:33.662 ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The session was red-flagged after Arvid Lindblad crashed at Turn 13, but the Mercedes driver stayed ahead once action resumed.

Why it matters:

With Antonelli leading the championship, Mercedes' one-lap pace is a strong signal. Ferrari is close enough to strike, and Max Verstappen is lurking just behind — setting up a tight qualifying battle.

The details:

• Antonelli's best lap came on soft tyres before the red flag; he later ran mediums in the closing minutes without improving.
• Hamilton and Leclerc ended 0.113s and 0.149s adrift respectively, with George Russell fifth.
• Lindblad lost the rear of his Racing Bulls at Turn 13 and hit the barrier side-on, apologising: "I'm really sorry, I lost it super early."
• Lando Norris spent much of the session in the McLaren garage after reporting a gearbox issue, forcing a change.
• Fernando Alonso missed the early running due to a clutch issue from FP1.
• Antonelli was frustrated by traffic from Sergio Perez, while Verstappen complained about his steering and Piastri ran wide at Turn 7.
• FP2 top ten: 1 Antonelli, 2 Hamilton, 3 Leclerc, 4 Lindblad, 5 Russell, 6 Verstappen, 7 Piastri, 8 Tsunoda, 9 Ocon, 10 Lawson.

What's next:

With track temperatures expected to remain high, qualifying looks incredibly tight. Mercedes has the edge on one lap, but Ferrari and Red Bull are close enough that small mistakes could prove decisive. Lindblad will need to reset after his crash, while McLaren will monitor Norris' gearbox issue.