Lando Norris showcased exceptional skill and speed in the second Free Practice session (FP2) at the Belgian Grand Prix, catapulting McLaren to the forefront with a stunning performance. Norris led the pack with a time of 1:42.260, closely followed by teammate Oscar Piastri, marking a significant milestone for McLaren as they secured the top two positions on the timesheets.
The session began with high expectations, especially after Max Verstappen's dominant display in the first Free Practice session. However, it was the McLaren duo who stole the show in FP2, as both Norris and Piastri outpaced the Red Bull driver by more than two-tenths of a second.
Piastri, only 0.215 seconds slower than Norris, demonstrated remarkable consistency and speed, securing the second-fastest time of the session. Verstappen, while still competitive, found himself 0.002 seconds behind Piastri, placing him third on the leaderboard.
Ferrari improves as Mercedes flatters in FP2
Ferrari's performance also garnered attention, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz securing the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Their times, although not enough to challenge the top three, reflected Ferrari's continued efforts to remain in contention amid a fiercely competitive grid.
Mercedes faced a more challenging session, with Lewis Hamilton finishing in tenth place. Hamilton's time, although respectable, was indicative of the team's struggle to find optimal performance in the session. His teammate, George Russell, did not feature prominently in the top ranks, signalling potential areas of concern for the Silver Arrows.
Sergio Perez, driving the second Red Bull, managed to secure the ninth position, just ahead of Hamilton. Perez's placement suggested that while Red Bull remained a force to be reckoned with, the session's dynamics favoured McLaren's strategy and execution.
Here are the final FP2 results:
# |
DRIVER |
TEAM |
TIME |
1 |
Lando NORRIS |
McLaren |
1:42.260 |
2 |
Oscar PIASTRI |
McLaren |
1:42.475 |
3 |
Max VERSTAPPEN |
Red Bull |
1:42.477 |
4 |
Charles LECLERC |
Ferrari |
1:42.837 |
5 |
Carlos SAINZ |
Ferrari |
1:43.098 |
6 |
George RUSSELL |
Mercedes |
1:43.290 |
7 |
Esteban OCON |
Alpine |
1:43.401 |
8 |
Kevin MAGNUSSEN |
Haas |
1:43.485 |
9 |
Sergio PÉREZ |
Red Bull |
1:43.504 |
10 |
Lewis HAMILTON |
Mercedes |
1:43.519 |
11 |
Lance STROLL |
Aston Martin |
1:43.532 |
12 |
Fernando ALONSO |
Aston Martin |
1:43.538 |
13 |
Valtteri BOTTAS |
Stake |
1:43.675 |
14 |
Daniel RICCIARDO |
VCARB |
1:43.823 |
15 |
Pierre GASLY |
Alpine |
1:43.829 |
16 |
Nico HULKENBERG |
Haas |
1:43.846 |
17 |
Alexander ALBON |
Williams |
1:43.892 |
18 |
Logan SARGEANT |
Williams |
1:44.226 |
19 |
Guanyu ZHOU |
Stake |
1:44.302 |
20 |
Yuki TSUNODA |
VCARB |
1:44.348 |