FP2: Norris leads the pack in second practice at Silverstone
Lando Norris showcased his prowess at Silverstone on Friday, setting the fastest lap in the second practice session (FP2). The McLaren driver clocked a blistering 1m 26.549s, holding off teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Sergio Perez.
With weather forecasts predicting a 60 percent chance of rain—consistent with FP1—teams were eager to get their runs in early. Initially, most drivers opted for medium tyres, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen marking an early lap of 1m 27.831s. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari experienced a tricky moment navigating Maggots and Becketts, as he reported issues in high-speed sectors.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz cited windy conditions as a factor slowing down the track. Verstappen then transitioned to the soft compound tyres, marking the quickest time before Norris took over as the session leader.
Aston Martin, rebounding from a tough weekend in Austria, showed promising pace. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both found themselves in the top ranks of the timesheets during FP2, a continuation of Stroll’s P2 finish in FP1.
During the session's midpoint, Norris solidified his pace by clocking the fastest lap but later experienced a slight off, prompting a request to his team to inspect the car's floor. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was cautioned about impending rain, leading to varied run strategies across teams, although race simulations continued as planned towards the session's end.
As anticipated, rain fell in the final minutes, but Norris maintained his lead, finishing 0.331s ahead of Piastri. Perez secured third, closely followed by Haas's Nico Hulkenberg in a notable fourth. Future teammates Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six for Ferrari and Mercedes, respectively.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloVerstappen came in seventh, followed by Sainz in eighth and Stroll in ninth. Mercedes' George Russell completed the top ten, while Alonso just missed out in 11th. Valtteri Bottas placed 12th in his Kick Sauber.
Williams’ Alex Albon took 13th in a car adorned with a special Union Jack livery for the event. Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon followed in 14th and 15th, with Gasly set to start at the back of the grid on Sunday due to a new power unit change.
Yuki Tsunoda bounced back from a spin in FP1 to claim 16th for Red Bull, ahead of Williams’ Logan Sargeant, Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, Ricciardo in the Red Bull, and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen bringing up the rear.
With Friday’s sessions concluded, teams now have a critical opportunity to analyze their data before returning for the third and final practice on Saturday.
