#F1 #SaudiArabianGP FP2: @LandoNorris heads @McLarenF1 one-two.
Lando Norris, #4, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL39, Free Practice 2, Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Image credit to Steven Tee/LAT Images. Norris Saudi Arabian GP FP2, Saudi Arabian GP FP2, F1 Jeddah GP FP2, Formula 1 Jeddah FP2.
Norris Saudi Arabian GP FP2 – Championship leader Lando Norris lead from team-mate Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in the evening FP2 session at the Saudi Arabian GP as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top three.
In conditions representing both Qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix, Norris posted the session topping benchmark on the C5 red side-walled softer tyres with a 1:28267 and was 0.163 seconds quicker than Piastri whilst Verstappen was a further 0.280 seconds adrift in third.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team pairing Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman were the first two cars out on track with the majority running the C4 mediums, whilst Williams’ Carlos Sainz was on softs and Alexander Albon was on the harder compounds.
Ocon was the first to register the benchmark of a 1:32.681 then was beaten by Bearman’s 1:31.005 then those efforts were quickly beaten by Verstappen’s 1:29.686 on the medium rubber.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly slotted in second behind Verstappen, but that was short-lived as the other Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda moved into second.
McLaren’s Lando Norris then shot to the head of the times with a 1:29.272 on the medium rubber to end up 0.624 seconds clear of Verstappen.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was next scoring two personal bests and a purple sector three to move up into second to be 0.205 seconds off the Briton.
Alpine’s Jack Doohan slotted into fourth place behind Verstappen as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll suffered a spin into turn one as the AMR25’s rear brakes locked. The Canadian managed to continue on.
Shortly after the Canadian’s lock-up, a close call between Albon and Hamilton happened with the latter getting in the way of the Williams in a fast blind corner to which, the Thai-Briton called out was “dangerous”.
Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli went to ninth with three personal bests to 0.006 seconds behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton was next, and the Briton planted his Ferrari up into fourth in the classification and was 0.677 seconds off Norris’s benchmark effort.
Piastri set a purple sector one and two personal bests to end up only 0.001 seconds off team-mate Norris in second place.
Both Russell and Gasly both were next with their flyers as the duo ended up in sixth and seventh respectively.
Antonelli set three personal bests to move up into sixth and 0.417 seconds off Norris’s session-topping benchmark.
Norris then planted two purple sectors on his next flyer but lost time in the third as behind him McLaren team-mate Piastri bumped the Briton off P1 with a 1:29.140 and was 0.132 seconds ahead.
Leclerc set two personal bests in the opening two sectors and despite a slower final sector, the Monegasque driver went quickest on a 1:29.002 to be 0.138 seconds clear of Piastri.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson running the C5 softs jumped to fourth in the classification and was 0.520 seconds off Leclerc’s lap-time.
Tsunoda then slotted into fourth in-front of Lawson as the former set his effort on the mediums.
Antonelli then planted his Mercedes back into sixth and ahead of Verstappen.
The incident between Albon and Hamilton would be investigated by the stewards at the end of the session.
Russell then on the softer compound jumped to the P1 slot posting a 1:28.973 to go 0.029 seconds quicker than Leclerc.
With three personal bests, Sainz’s soft tyre flyer put the Spaniard’s Williams fastest with a 1:28.942 and went 0.031 seconds clear of Russell.
Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar jumped into sixth behind Norris on his qualifying simulation run as Verstappen with three purples shot to the head of the pile posting a 1:28.547 to go 0.395 seconds faster than Sainz.
Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg then split the McLaren duo in sixth place to be 0.646 seconds off Verstappen’s effort.
Piastri was next with a personal best opening sector, and two purples to reclaim the P1 slot with a 1:28.430 to be 0.117 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Hulkenberg went back into sixth behind Leclerc as Hamilton on his soft tyre effort placed tenth.
Tsunoda then planted his Red Bull in fourth and 0.533 seconds off Piastri’s effort as Norris then pitted his McLaren team-mate at the top with a 1:28.340 to be 0.090 seconds faster than the Australian.
Replays then showed Albon encountered a scary moment, almost hitting the wall out of the exit of the final corner.
Hadjar was next with two personal bests to move into 12th place behind Antonelli who suffered a wild moment earlier.
Leclerc was next posting three personal bests to post a 1:28.749 to go 0.482 off Norris.
Norris then improved once again with a 1:28.267 to be 0.163 seconds faster than Piastri, which remained as the session’s best time.
Replays showed Piastri on his flying lap touch the front wall as both Williams’ Albon and Mercedes’ Antonelli both hit the wall out of the final corner.
All drivers with less than 20 minutes remaining started to make the switch from the softs to mediums and hards (Albon) to do their traditional long run data gathering.
Replays also showed Norris run too hot on his flyer into turn one and managed to keep going.
With less than nine minutes remaining, the first red flag of the weekend hit when Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda suffered a whack into the wall.
Replays showed Tsunoda hit the front left into the wall at the apex of the final corner sending his RB21 racer into the wall of the exit of the last corner and damaged also his front wing front-right.
His Red Bull team-mate Verstappen was third and in-front of Leclerc who took fourth and Sainz who placed fifth.
The aforementioned Tsunoda was sixth and ahead of Russell who was seventh and Gasly who ended FP2 eighth.
Hulkenberg and Albon rounded out the top ten.
Mercedes’ Antonelli finished FP2 outside the top ten in 11th and in-front of Hadjar who took 12th and Hamilton who was down in 13th for Ferrari.
Lawson followed in 14th as Alonso and Bearman were 15th and 16th respectively.
Alpine’s Doohan finished the day in 17th as Stroll and Ocon came 18th and 19th in the order.
Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto brought up the rear.
The session resumed with just one minute remaining with the marshals clearing Tsunoda’s RB21 just in-time so the drivers could complete their practice starts.
You can see the full Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1258/saudi-arabia/practice/2
#F1 #SaudiArabianGP FP1: @PierreGASLY pips @LandoNorris by narrow 0.007s.
