29/08/2025
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second session the air temperature is 18 degrees C, while the track temperature is 26 degrees. Not only is it cooler than earlier there is a 100% chance of rain.
As a reminder in terms of updates, Red Bull has a new Front Wing featuring longer chord flaps as the expected demands of the circuit require the flap elements to have extended chords in order to increase the load available via angle.
Alpine has a new Rear Corner in terms of rear brake duct furniture which includes a set of reprofiled winglets, designed to improve the rear wheel wake management.
Sauber also has a new Rear Corner which features an updated rear brake duct vane design. According to the team the changes to the rear brake duct vane affect the flow field around the rear of the car, local to the diffuser and rear wheels.
Norris led a McLaren 1-2 earlier, which was pretty much as expected, but what wasn't expected was that Aston Martin would be third and fourth and the Ferraris fourteenth and fifteenth.
As if that wasn't enough, Antonelli missed much of the session after going off and getting stuck in the gravel, while Verstappen did the self-same thing following a practice start at the end of the session.
Aware of the impending rain Lawson is first out, followed by Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Piastri, Norris and pretty much the rest of the field, after all we are expecting further rain throughout the weekend.
Bortoleto gets things underway with a 13.782 as it is predicted that the rain will arrive in fourteen minutes.
Norris responds with a 12.615 and Sainz a 13.456.
All bar Verstappen and Hadjar are on track.
Sainz improves to 12.564, the Spaniards on hards at a time all three compounds are in use.
Quickest in all three sectors Alonso (medium) goes quickest with a 12.131 as Russell is warned that "significant" rain is due in 12 minutes.
"Antonelli is blind," suggests Alonso after almost tripping up over the Mercedes.
Norris (medium) goers top with an 11.294 as Stroll goes second with am 11.975.
Bortoleto and Hulkenberg go second and third on the softs.
Russell goes sixth on the hards, but is demoted when Verstappen posts an 11.5742 to go fourth on the white-banded rubber.
"What a ****," says Leclerc after being impeded by Tsunoda as Albon goes off at Turn 11. "I guess the Ferrari didn't see me," says the Williams driver.
On the softs Bearman goes quickest with an 11.113.
The session is red-flagged when Stroll goes off and into the barrier At Turn 3 - the same corner where Daniel Ricciardo crashed. It was a big crash - the car appearing unwilling to turn and then locking up - but he is OK. Unlike the car which is significantly damaged.
Verstappen and Alonso both express concern over Stroll's hand which he kept on the steering wheel for some time.
The session resumes with 38 minutes remaining, however there is no rush to action.
Eventually some drivers begin to head out among them Verstappen and Russell.
Out come the yellows as Hadjar stops at Turn 8 reporting that he has no power.
"That's it? Retire?" he asks. "Confirmed, confirmed," he is told. He is the only driver yet to post a time.
The VSC is deployed.
Sainz improves to sixth and Albon eighth.
Hulkenberg posts an 11.080 having gone quickest in the final two sectors.
As was the case in FP1 Hamilton spins, this time after losing the rear as he exited Turn 10 and dipping a toe on the grass.
Meanwhile, having gone purple in all three sectors, Alonso goes top with a 9.977.
However, Norris responds with a 9.890.
As Piastri goes third (9.979), Hamilton goes fifth, just ahead of Tsunoda and Leclerc.
A 10.478 sees Verstappen go fifth as Albon goes off into the gravel and finally the barrier at Turn 1. It is when the Williams driver attempts to reverse his car that he damages his front wing.
The session is red-flagged again.
There's fun in the pitlane as Piastri makes a strange, hesitant move as he returns to his garage and almost collects Russell.
The resumes with 15 minutes remaining as the Piastri incident is noted.
Toto Wolff and Bottas watch anxiously as Antonelli kicks up some dust as he seeks to improve on eleventh.
Amidst all the various incidents it's easy to forget that the rain never arrived as sunshine now bathes the coastal track.
Piastri runs wide in Turn 9, dipping a toe on the grass but somehow holding it all together.
The session ends.
"I think Nico needs to take a pee," suggest Bortoleto of his teammate, "he's pushing so hard."
Norris is quickest, ahead of Alonso, Piastri, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Colapinto and Hulkenberg.
Bearman is eleventh, ahead of Antonelli, Bortoleto, Lawson, Ocon, Sainz, Albon, Stroll and Gasly.
Check out our Friday gallery from Zandvoort here.