Rookie crashes in practice session in Madrid

MADRID: Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Italy secured the top spot in Friday's second practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix, outpacing both Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The 20-year-old Italian posted a best time of one minute and 33.662 seconds, narrowly edging out Leclerc by 0.113 seconds at the new, high-risk circuit.

After an incident-free opening practice, the second session was marred by a red flag when Racing Bull rookie Arvid Lindblad lost control of his car and crashed into the barriers at Turn 13. Although Lindblad emerged unharmed, his car sustained significant damage. Despite the incident, Lindblad maintained his position as the fourth quickest driver, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen, and McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

World champion Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, completed only two laps before pitting due to gearbox problems, and was unable to rejoin the race. Yuki Tsunoda of Toyota secured eighth place in the second Racing Bull car, while Haas' Esteban Ocon and Red Bull's Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten. Despite pre-event predictions of multiple red flags and accidents, the professionalism of the drivers ensured that only Lindblad suffered an incident on the challenging new track.

Although a previous Formula Two race had seen a catastrophic crash, with Thai driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak exiting unhurt from his burning car, the new circuit's dangers were a stark reminder. Following the resumption of practice after a 10-minute pause for barrier repairs, Antonelli appeared on track to achieve a double top for the Mercedes team, following Russell's quickest lap during the opening session.