Piastri puts McLaren on top in the second free practice, with Antonelli and Russell completing a top 3 dominated by Mercedes engines; Audi drops to 12th and 14th after a top 10 in FP1
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Oscar Piastri finished in first position in the second free practice of the Australian GP, held this Friday in Melbourne, continuing the activities of the round that opens the 2026 Formula 1 season. The session presented a different scenario from FP1, with McLaren and teams equipped with Mercedes engines showing stronger performance after Ferrari led the first practice of the weekend.
FP2 took place at the same time as Saturday’s qualifying, which makes this practice one of the most relevant for performance adjustments. Therefore, many teams started the session with medium and hard tires, indicating a focus on race pace simulations in the very first minutes.
In the initial moments, there was a lot of movement on the timesheet, with Mercedes drivers appearing among the fastest. George Russell even set the three best sectors of the lap at one point using soft tires, putting the German car at the top of the session at that stage of the practice. Kimi Antonelli also showed good pace and stayed very close to his teammate, indicating Mercedes’ strength in this second practice.
The middle phase of the session was marked by the increasing use of soft tires and constant changes in the standings. Meanwhile, some teams faced technical problems. Max Verstappen was stationary for a long period in the pits after his Red Bull’s engine cut out in the garage, but he managed to return to the track later. The Dutchman also caused a scare by losing control of the car at the exit of Turn 10, going through the gravel at high speed and damaging part of the floor.
Cadillac also had difficulties throughout the practice. Valtteri Bottas faced sensor-related problems in the car and was even instructed by the team to pull over, causing a Virtual Safety Car period in the final minutes of the session. Sergio Perez did not take to the track and was left without a time in the session.
In the case of Aston Martin, the weekend continues to be complicated. Lance Stroll again presented technical problems and was called back to the pits, while Fernando Alonso had limited participation after the difficulties faced by the team since FP1. During a press conference between FP1 and FP2, Adrian Newey, the team principal, says he feels “powerless” in the face of the problems presented by Honda.
Meanwhile, some teams began to focus on race simulations in the second half of the practice. Mercedes put Russell and Antonelli on track with used hard tires, while Gabriel Bortoleto returned to the track with medium tires for Audi to perform a longer stint.
Unlike what happened in FP1, Audi had a more complicated session in the second practice. In the first practice of the day, the team had managed to put its two cars inside the top 10, but the scenario was different now in FP2. Nico Hülkenberg finished the session in 12th position, while Bortoleto was 14th.
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In the final minutes, most drivers completed their last race simulation laps and there was practically no improvement in times, with few green or purple sectors recorded.
With the checkered flag, Oscar Piastri confirmed the lead in FP2, followed by the two Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, forming a top 3 composed of cars equipped with Mercedes engines.
Right behind came the two Ferraris, which had led FP1, followed by Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who had a difficult first day in Melbourne.
The top 10 was also completed by Arvid Lindblad, in a surprising performance, Isack Hadjar and Esteban Ocon.
The Formula 1 weekend in Melbourne continues this Saturday with the third free practice session at 22:30, Brasília time, and subsequently, the qualifying session that will define the starting grid for the race that opens the 2026 season.
Follow all the information from the Australian GP live and in real-time at F1Mania.net.
Check the FP2 result for the F1 Australian GP:
1) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’19.729
2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1’19.943
3) George Russell (Mercedes), 1’20.049
4) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1’20.050
5) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1’20.291
6) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’20.366
7) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’20.794
8) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’20.922
9) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’20.941
10) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1’21.179
11) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1’21.326
12) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), 1’21.351
13) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’21.358
14) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), 1’21.668
15) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1’21.847
16) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’22.167
17) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1’22.253
18) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’22.619
19) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’23.660
20) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’24.662
21) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’25.816
22) Sergio Pérez (Cadillac/Ferrari), no time
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