Early Pace and Qualifying Simulations: Charles Leclerc set an early benchmark in the second practice session of the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, posting a time of 1:16.794 on Medium tyres. His initial lead was challenged by Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda, who briefly topped the timesheets with a 1:16.784 on Soft tyres.
McLaren’s Challenge and Leclerc’s Recovery: As the field switched to Soft tyres for qualifying simulations, Lando Norris moved to the front with a 1:16.580, followed closely by McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Leclerc, however, responded with a blistering lap of 1:16.439, reclaiming the top spot and maintaining it for the remainder of the session.
Performance Breakdown: Leclerc’s leading time of 1:16.439 put him 0.124 seconds ahead of Piastri, who finished second with a 1:16.563. Norris followed closely in third with a 1:16.580. Tsunoda’s earlier time of 1:16.784 secured him fourth place, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth with a 1:16.859.
Verstappen’s Struggles and Rookie Performance: Defending champion Max Verstappen struggled with his RB21, managing only a seventh-place finish with a time of 1:17.063. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar delivered a strong performance, posting a 1:17.019 to finish sixth, ahead of his teammate Verstappen. Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and George Russell rounded out the top ten.
Session Highlights: Oliver Bearman missed the entire session due to repairs following a crash in the first practice. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Esteban Ocon filled the lower positions of the time sheet.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:16.439 | |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:16.563 | +0.124 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:16.580 | +0.141 |
| 4 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT | 1:16.784 | +0.345 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:16.859 | +0.420 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT | 1:17.019 | +0.580 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1:17.063 | +0.624 |
| 8 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber/Ferrari | 1:17.161 | +0.722 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1:17.279 | +0.840 |
| 10 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:17.282 | +0.843 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz | Williams/Mercedes | 1:17.302 | +0.863 |
| 12 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1:17.302 | +0.863 |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1:17.330 | +0.891 |
| 14 | Jack Doohan | Alpine/Renault | 1:17.394 | +0.955 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1:17.493 | +1.054 |
| 16 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:17.634 | +1.195 |
| 17 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1:17.640 | +1.201 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber/Ferrari | 1:17.847 | +1.408 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas/Ferrari | 1:18.034 | +1.595 |
Source: FIA
This article was crafted with assistance from Gemini