2025 Australian GP FP2: Leclerc tops Practice Two ahead of McLaren

Charles Leclerc set the pace in the second practice session of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, leading the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris with a best time of 1m 16.439s. While FP1 was disrupted by two red flags—one due to loose gravel and another following a heavy crash for Haas rookie Oliver Bearman—FP2 ran much more smoothly, allowing teams to complete both qualifying-style runs and race simulations. However, the session wasn’t entirely drama-free, as Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg had an off-track excursion, Pierre Gasly reported brake issues, and several drivers encountered minor setbacks.

All eyes were on Lewis Hamilton as he continued his much-anticipated Ferrari debut, but he could not match his teammate’s pace. After finishing 12th in FP1, the seven-time world champion improved to fifth in FP2 but still trailed Leclerc’s leading time. His performance remained a key talking point as the weekend unfolded, with fans and analysts closely watching how quickly he adapted to the SF-25.

With one more practice session before Saturday’s qualifying, the battle at the front remained tight, with Ferrari and McLaren showing strong early form.

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Hamilton finished four-tenths behind Leclerc’s impressive benchmark of 1:16.439, which put the Ferrari driver ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris—who had topped the first practice session—by just over a tenth. While McLaren entered the season as the expected frontrunner, Ferrari’s strong showing in FP2 suggested they could mount a serious challenge for the pole position at Albert Park on Saturday. Beyond their one-lap pace, Ferrari also appeared competitive in the longer race simulations, indicating they could be a factor throughout the weekend.

However, practice times don’t always tell the whole story, as fuel loads, tyre strategies, and setup variations can cause unexpected fluctuations in the order.

Racing Bulls impressed with Yuki Tsunoda securing fourth place ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while rookie teammate Isack Hadjar backed up the team’s strong form by finishing sixth. Both Racing Bulls drivers outpaced their senior Red Bull counterparts, with Max Verstappen—chasing his fifth consecutive title—only managing seventh, and new teammate Liam Lawson down in 17th. Verstappen was among several drivers struggling with car balance as teams continued fine-tuning their 2025 cars after three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Mercedes also faced challenges, with George Russell finishing 10th after another off-track moment, mirroring his struggles from FP1. His rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli placed 16th as the team wrestled with tyre performance, showing decent pace on medium and hard compounds but failing to extract the expected improvement from the softer rubber.

Meanwhile, British rookie Oliver Bearman could not participate in FP2, as Haas ran out of time to repair his car following his heavy crash in the first session.

2025 Australian GP FP2 Results

2025 Australian Grand Prix FP2, 14 March 2025