Lando Norris sent a strong message to his championship rivals by claiming the fastest time in second practice at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The British driver recorded a dominant 1:23.083 on the soft tyres, leaving his competitors behind, including his main title rival Max Verstappen, who finished second at 1:23.446, over three tenths adrift. George Russell and Oliver Bearman completed the top four, while the first Ferrari, driven by Charles Leclerc, only managed eighth. Oscar Piastri struggled more, ending up in eleventh.
The McLaren driver, currently leading the drivers’ standings, showed no signs of intimidation, confirming his advantage over the field in FP2. Norris’ pace gap was evident not just in outright lap times but also in the race simulation. He ran a shorter long run with a consistent pace around low 1:29s, while Verstappen completed 17 laps, starting at 1:29.3 and gradually rising to over 1:30.2.
In the morning session, McLaren ran the MCL39 with a relatively high ride height, keeping Max Verstappen close. In the afternoon FP2, Norris lowered the car slightly, increasing his margin. Red Bull’s remarkable weekend pace recovery means the championship battle remains wide open.
Oscar Piastri, who skipped FP1 to make way for Pato O’Ward, had limited track time and struggled to find confidence in the car. He also reported a temporary engine power drop. As a result, he finished eleventh, 0.680 seconds behind teammate Norris. While concerning at first glance, the limited laps may have contributed to the deficit.
George Russell took third for Mercedes, just 0.039 seconds behind Verstappen. The W16 seems well-suited to Yas Marina, and Russell’s performance suggests Mercedes could compete strongly. Kimi Antonelli finished tenth on the qualifying-style lap, three tenths behind teammate Russell, but showed better pace during long runs.
Oliver Bearman impressed with a fourth-place finish, taking the Haas within a tenth of Russell. He was followed closely by the two Kick Sauber cars, with Nico Hulkenberg fifth and Gabriel Bortoleto sixth. The Swiss team is aiming to make a strong impression before transitioning to Audi ownership.
Isack Hadjar also performed well, placing seventh for Racing Bulls, just one thousandth ahead of Charles Leclerc in eighth. Ferrari continues to struggle in the closing rounds of the season, with Lewis Hamilton 14th, three tenths behind his teammate. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso remained ninth, while Lance Stroll finished 12th. The team skipped FP1 with their main drivers, leaving some setup work for the afternoon.
Williams was less competitive, with Carlos Sainz 13th and Alexander Albon 15th. Albon reported repeated misfires, requiring engine checks before FP3. Esteban Ocon’s second Haas did not match Bearman’s pace but also ran only in FP2. Yuki Tsunoda disappointed in 17th with Red Bull, affected by his relegation to reserve driver for next season. Liam Lawson struggled to find an optimal setup in the Racing Bulls, while Alpine drivers Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly appear destined for the back of the grid.
FP2 results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Laps | Time | Gap | Tyre | Top speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L. Norris | McLaren | MCL39 | 28 | 1’23.083 | – | S | 228.826 |
| 2 | M. Verstappen | Red Bull | RB21 | 31 | 1’23.446 | +0.363 | S | 227.831 |
| 3 | G. Russell | Mercedes | W16 | 29 | 1’23.462 | +0.379 | S | 227.787 |
| 4 | O. Bearman | Haas | VF-25 | 28 | 1’23.501 | +0.418 | S | 227.681 |
| 5 | N. Hulkenberg | Sauber | C45 | 28 | 1’23.550 | +0.467 | S | 227.547 |
| 6 | G. Bortoleto | Sauber | C45 | 28 | 1’23.570 | +0.487 | S | 227.493 |
| 7 | I. Hadjar | Racing Bulls | RB VCARB 02 | 29 | 1’23.657 | +0.574 | S | 227.256 |
| 8 | C. Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-25 | 31 | 1’23.658 | +0.575 | S | 227.253 |
| 9 | F. Alonso | Aston Martin | AMR25 | 27 | 1’23.708 | +0.625 | S | 227.118 |
| 10 | A. Antonelli | Mercedes | W16 | 29 | 1’23.750 | +0.667 | S | 227.004 |
| 11 | O. Piastri | McLaren | MCL39 | 29 | 1’23.763 | +0.680 | S | 226.968 |
| 12 | L. Stroll | Aston Martin | AMR25 | 29 | 1’23.832 | +0.749 | S | 226.782 |
| 13 | C. Sainz Jr. | Williams | FW47 | 31 | 1’23.872 | +0.789 | S | 226.673 |
| 14 | L. Hamilton | Ferrari | SF-25 | 29 | 1’23.939 | +0.856 | S | 226.493 |
| 15 | A. Albon | Williams | FW47 | 32 | 1’23.950 | +0.867 | S | 226.463 |
| 16 | E. Ocon | Haas | VF-25 | 27 | 1’23.958 | +0.875 | S | 226.441 |
| 17 | Y. Tsunoda | Red Bull | RB21 | 29 | 1’24.303 | +1.220 | S | 225.515 |
| 18 | L. Lawson | Racing Bulls | RB VCARB 02 | 32 | 1’24.474 | +1.391 | S | 225.058 |
| 19 | F. Colapinto | Alpine | A525 | 28 | 1’24.771 | +1.688 | S | 224.270 |
| 20 | P. Gasly | Alpine | A525 | 30 | 1’24.963 | +1.880 | S | 224.192 |
Leave a Reply