Lando Norris leads tight FP2 battle at 2025 Italian Grand Prix

Lando Norris set the pace in the second practice session for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, edging out Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in a closely fought top three. The McLaren driver clocked a 1:19.878 on soft tyres, just 0.083s ahead of Leclerc’s Ferrari, with Sainz a further 0.013s back in his Williams.

The session was not without drama, with Kimi Antonelli bringing out the red flags early on after beaching his Mercedes in the Lesmos. The Italian rookie completed only four laps and missed the chance to run the soft compound, leaving him on the back foot heading into Saturday.

FP2 Recap: Norris on Top at the Temple of Speed

The session began under warm, sunny skies — 26°C air temperature and 34.5°C track temperature — perfect conditions for gathering data on the low-downforce Monza setups. Oscar Piastri, returning to the cockpit after Alex Dunne’s FP1 outing, was first out alongside George Russell, who had recovered from a hydraulic issue earlier in the day.

Early Red Flag for Antonelli

Just minutes into the session, Antonelli lost the rear of his Mercedes at Lesmo 2 and slid into the gravel, triggering a red flag. It was a costly error for the home favourite, who has been under pressure after a run of poor results. His lack of soft-tyre running could compromise his qualifying preparation.

Mid-Session Soft Tyre Runs

Once the session resumed, teams began switching to the C5 soft compound to simulate qualifying laps. Franco Colapinto was the first to bolt them on, but it was Norris who made the biggest impact, jumping to P1 with his 1:19.878 — half a second shy of last year’s pole time.

Leclerc briefly split Norris and Sainz, while Lewis Hamilton also showed strong pace on the hard tyre before switching to softs to go fifth fastest. Max Verstappen struggled initially with grip, complaining of the car “jumping,” but improved to sixth on mediums.

Late Incidents and Gravel Moments

The session wasn’t entirely clean for the frontrunners. Leclerc ran wide through the Ascari chicane, kicking up gravel but avoiding damage. Piastri also had a moment, putting two wheels into the gravel at the same complex while running with flow-vis paint for aero testing.

Both Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto will face post-session investigations — the McLaren driver for failing to follow race director instructions under a red flag, and the Sauber rookie for a yellow flag infringement.

Final Classification – FP2 Top 10

Lando Norris – McLaren – 1:19.878 (Soft)
Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – +0.083 (Soft)
Carlos Sainz – Williams – +0.096 (Soft)
Oscar Piastri – McLaren – +0.181 (Soft)
Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari – +0.192 (Hard)
Max Verstappen – Red Bull – +0.199 (Medium)
Alexander Albon – Williams – +0.301 (Soft)
Nico Hülkenberg – Kick Sauber – +0.363 (Soft)
Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull – +0.391 (Soft)
George Russell – Mercedes – +0.398 (Soft)

Key Takeaways from FP2

McLaren Competitive but Not Dominant

While Norris topped the timesheets, McLaren didn’t enjoy the outright dominance they showed in Zandvoort. Piastri’s pace was solid but slightly adrift of his teammate, and both drivers had moments in the gravel.

Ferrari in the Mix

Leclerc and Hamilton both looked competitive, with Ferrari’s straight-line speed and balance suggesting they could be a real threat in qualifying. Leclerc’s minor off at Ascari didn’t mask the fact that the SF-25 is working well in Monza’s low-downforce trim.

Williams a Dark Horse

Sainz’s P3 and Albon’s P7 underline Williams’ potential here. The FW47’s efficiency in a straight line has historically suited Monza, and the team appears to have retained enough of that trait to be competitive.

Red Bull Still Searching

Verstappen’s medium-tyre run was competitive, but the RB21 didn’t look as planted as usual. Tsunoda’s top-10 time came on softs, but the team may need to fine-tune their low-downforce package overnight.

Trouble for Antonelli

The Italian rookie’s early exit leaves him with minimal data and no soft-tyre benchmark. With Mercedes still chasing performance, this could be a difficult weekend for him.

What to Watch for in FP3 and Qualifying

Qualifying simulations: Expect tighter gaps at the top as teams refine their low-fuel runs.
Long-run pace: Ferrari and Williams looked strong on heavier fuel loads, which could be crucial for Sunday.
Track limits and gravel traps: Ascari and Lesmo 2 caught out several drivers today — mistakes here could be costly in qualifying.
Stewards’ decisions: Outcomes of the Piastri and Bortoleto investigations could impact the grid.

With the top three separated by less than a tenth, the 2025 Italian Grand Prix is shaping up to be a classic Monza showdown. FP3 will be the final chance to fine-tune setups before the all-important qualifying session at the Temple of Speed.