Formula 1 News: Norris tops Practice 2 for 2025 Italian GP

Lando Norris (pictured) topped the timesheets for McLaren in Friday’s second practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, outpacing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Carlos Sainz, while home favorite Kimi Antonelli spun out early.

–by Mark Cipolloni

After Lewis Hamilton led a Ferrari one-two in FP1, thrilling the passionate Tifosi filling Monza’s grandstands and grass banks, the teams returned for another hour of running in FP2, starting at 5:00 PM local time.

All 20 cars hit the track as soon as the pit lane opened. Oscar Piastri, back in his McLaren after F2 driver Alex Dunne’s FP1 stint, set the early pace with a 1:21.212 on medium tires, despite a cracked mirror. Teammate Lando Norris, missing a mirror entirely, then posted a 1:21.012 to take the lead.

Drama struck when Pierre Gasly overshot the Ascari chicane, scattering gravel across the track. Moments later, Antonelli ran out of talent and lost control of his Mercedes at Lesmo 2, beaching it and triggering a red flag.

Marshals quickly cleared the car, and with 45 minutes left, McLaren repaired the mirrors on both cars. Race Control soon declared the track clear, resuming the session.

Further runs on Pirelli’s medium and hard compounds sparked a flurry of lead changes. Leclerc clocked a 1:20.937, Max Verstappen posted a 1:20.710, and Sainz set a 1:20.583. Meanwhile, Piastri and Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto hit the kerbs hard at Lesmo 2, while Alex Albon narrowly saved his Williams from a mid-corner snap at Lesmo 1, prompting both Albon and Bortoleto to request floor checks.

Mid-session, drivers switched to soft tires, unleashing faster laps. Norris set a blistering 1:19.878, despite abandoning his first soft-tire lap after a moment at the Roggia chicane. Leclerc struggled with “no grip at all” after running wide at Lesmo 2, while Verstappen reported his car feeling “really jumpy” and “nervous on every little bump.” In the final soft-tire runs, Leclerc improved to second, 0.083s behind Norris, before another off at Ascari, while Sainz secured third.

Piastri finished fourth but faced a steward’s investigation for allegedly entering the pit lane’s fast lane before the session restart.

Hamilton, who had a late gravel trap excursion at Lesmo 2, took fifth, followed by Verstappen. Albon’s seventh place underlined Williams’ strong start despite his earlier scare, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber, Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull, and George Russell’s Mercedes, which overcame early hydraulic issues.

Isack Hadjar led Racing Bulls in 11th, followed by Bortoleto (also under scrutiny for an alleged yellow flag breach), Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, Haas’s Oliver Bearman, and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. Liam Lawson, Gasly, the sidelined Antonelli, and Franco Colapinto, back in his Alpine after reserve Paul Aron’s FP1 run, rounded out the field.

With FP2 complete, teams and drivers will analyze data and prepare for Saturday’s final practice at 12:30 PM local time, setting the stage for the weekend’s battles at Monza.

2025 Italian GP Practice 2 Results