Lando Norris narrowly bested Charles Leclerc to top spot in a highly competitive second pr actice session at the Italian Grand Prix.
Norris controlled the session from early in the hour as one of the first drivers to embark on a soft-tire performance run, setting the benchmark at 1m19.878s. It was a formidable margin when it was set around half an hour into the 60-minute session, and though his front-running rivals closed in gradually, none could touch Norris’s time.
Leclerc got closest despite an unconvincing stat to his qualifying simulation runs when he radioed that he had “no grip at all” after his first lap left him in the lower reaches of the top 10. However, subsequent runs on the same soft tires elevated him to within just 0.083s of Norris.
Carlos Sainz again completed the top three, the Williams driver continuing his strong form from FP1 to lap only 0.013s slower than Leclerc.
Oscar Piastri took back his car McLaren junior Alex Dunne and took his time getting himself up to speed. His first lap on softs was an unconvincing 0.4s slower than his teammate’s, but he closed to with in 0.181s with a second run on the same set of softs. Lewis Hamilton, after topping FP1, was 0.011s further back.
The title leader will see the stewards after the session, though, for failing to follow the race director’s instructions regarding leaving his garage too early ahead of the session.
Max Verstappen complained that his car was “really jumpy, really nervous over every bump” early in the hour, but on softs he was able to coax more reliable speed from his machine to lap 0.199s off Norris, completing a top six spread across less than 0.2s.
Alex Albon followed in seventh and 0.01s off the pace, though the Williams driver was lucky to make it to the end of the session in one piece after a monster snap over the curbs at the second Lesmo.
Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Sauber ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who was an improved 0.391 off the pace and only 0.192s slower than teammate Verstappen.
George Russell completed the top 10 after suffering a hydraulics failure at the end of FP1, though Mercedes confirmed he avoided the need for a gearbox change in the stoppage.
Isack Hadjar was 11th ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto, who will see the stewards after the session for overtaking a car under yellow flags at the beginning of the session.
Lance Stroll was 13th ahead of Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s session lasted just under 10 minutes before the Italian rookie looped his car entering the second Lesmo turn, with his Mercedes beaching itself in the stones on exit. It’s the second consecutive Friday the teenager has ended a practice session stuck in the gravel.
Franco Colapinto, taking back his car from Paul Aron, was slowest in the session, almost 0.2s off the back of the pack.
RESULTS
