F1 Austrian GP: Lando Norris heads McLaren 1-2 from Max Verstappen in FP2

Austrian Grand Prix: FP2 Report

Lando Norris topped the second free practice session for the 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, clocking a lap time of 1:04.580. This marked his first appearance in the cockpit since a crash with teammate Oscar Piastri at the Canadian GP, for which he accepted responsibility. Norris’s performance was particularly impressive, placing him 0.157 seconds ahead of championship leader Piastri, who finished in second. Max Verstappen secured third for Red Bull Racing.

Lance Stroll was the only other driver to come within half a second of the McLaren duo, finishing fourth, while Charles Leclerc rounded out the top five for Ferrari. Leclerc had a minor incident, running over the gravel at Turn 6 during the session.

George Russell, fresh off a victory in Canada, was sixth in his Mercedes after setting the fastest time in FP1, followed by Yuki Tsunoda in seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, and a struggling Lewis Hamilton completed the top ten, with Hamilton nearly a second adrift from the front. He faced challenges during the session, including gearbox issues encountered in FP1 and a subsequent summons to the stewards for blocking Andrea Kimi Antonelli early on in FP2.

As the session progressed, Norris and Piastri focused on longer stints, utilizing the C5 compound tires for their runs, indicating a strategic preparation for the upcoming qualifying and race.