Antonelli on top ahead of Ferraris in Madrid practice

Madrid: Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes set the pace in Friday's second practice session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, outpacing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The 20-year-old Italian clocked a best time of one minute and 33.662 seconds, leading Leclerc by 0.113 seconds at the challenging new high-risk circuit.

After an incident-free opening practice, the second session was halted by a red flag when Racing Bull's rookie Arvid Lindblad lost control and crashed into the barriers at Turn 13. Despite extensive damage to his car, Lindblad emerged unharmed and finished fourth fastest before the session's end. His teammate, George Russell, remained ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, while McLaren's Lando Norris could only manage two laps due to gearbox issues.

Yuki Tsunoda secured eighth place in the second Racing Bull, while Esteban Ocon of Haas and Liam Lawson of Red Bull rounded out the top ten. Although forecasts predicted multiple red flags and accidents, the professionalism of the drivers was evident, with Lindblad being the only casualty on a track that proved to be the most perilous for a first-time usage.

Despite concerns raised by Mercedes' George Russell about the new circuit being "the riskiest track in the calendar," the only significant incident during the session was Lindblad's collision with the wall at Turn 13. After a 10-minute pause for barrier repairs, the action resumed with Antonelli on track to complete a double top for the Silver Arrows following Russell's quickest lap in the opening session.