Austrian GP: Lando Norris Tops Oscar Piastri in Second Practice

Lando Norris secured the top spot in the second practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, leading a dominant one-two performance for McLaren ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Despite not participating in the initial session on Friday, as McLaren fielded Irish teenager Alex Dunne for a mandated rookie run, Norris quickly adapted to the Red Bull Ring circuit. He posted a fastest lap time of 1:04.580, finishing 0.157 seconds faster than Piastri.

This strong showing marked a notable comeback for Norris, particularly following the collision with his teammate in the previous race in Canada. That incident led to Norris`s retirement and increased his points deficit to Piastri in the championship standings to 22.

McLaren, having introduced an upgraded front suspension package in Spielberg, appeared to hold a significant advantage over the rest of the field. Max Verstappen, despite Red Bull bringing a revised floor edge to their home event, was three tenths slower, finishing in third place.

Reflecting on the session, Norris stated, “The car felt good from the off.” He credited rookie Alex Dunne`s feedback from FP1 as valuable, noting Dunne was “on the pace straightaway.”

Norris added that the team had moved the car “in the right direction for FP2,” and they would evaluate further for Saturday`s sessions, hoping for “a little bit more to come.”

While pleased with McLaren`s pace advantage, Norris anticipated the competition would improve. “Max is not far behind and they usually improve a lot into Saturday,” he commented.

George Russell, who secured his first victory of the season in Canada and topped the first practice session for Mercedes, couldn`t replicate his pace in FP2, dropping to sixth.

Russell`s qualifying simulations on soft tyres were conducted earlier than McLaren`s on the improving track surface, which might explain some of the six-tenth gap to Norris.

Russell acknowledged that FP1 was a “surprise” but stated that in FP2, they “definitely didn`t have the pace” shown earlier, with race pace also being “a step worse.” He stressed the need for analysis.

He conceded McLaren was “mighty strong,” especially in the afternoon, and wasn`t optimistic about challenging for pole position.

Lance Stroll achieved a surprising fourth position for Aston Martin, finishing ahead of Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc. Ferrari`s new floor upgrade seemed to provide minimal improvement.

Lewis Hamilton had a more challenging session, finishing 10th and expressing dissatisfaction with his Ferrari`s pace.

The seven-time world champion was investigated after the session for impeding Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli but escaped serious penalty, receiving only a warning.

Hamilton noted that Leclerc was six tenths off and he himself was nearly a second behind, describing it as “not ideal.” He hoped changes could bring them closer after analysis but accepted they “won`t be at the front.”

He acknowledged the significant work on the new floor but admitted it hadn`t “necessarily changed our competitiveness.” Despite the car not feeling “bad,” the large pace deficit required investigation.

For reigning world champion Max Verstappen, currently leading the drivers` standings but finishing third in this session, there were positive signs, as he appeared capable of matching McLaren`s pace during longer runs.

In Practice One, 19-year-old Irish driver Alex Dunne made a strong impression, finishing fourth fastest for McLaren and within a tenth of his session teammate, Piastri.

Although the F2 championship leader`s immediate prospects for a full-time McLaren seat are limited, his impressive performance will likely enhance his profile for potential opportunities in the 2026 season.

Austrian GP Practice Two Timesheet