Mercedes set the standard as Madrid race pace picture takes shape

As always, race pace data from practice should be treated with caution. Fuel loads, engine modes and individual run plans remain unknown, making direct comparisons between teams difficult. That is particularly true at a completely new venue such as the Madring, where drivers and teams are still learning the circuit. Nevertheless, consistency over a stint and the number of consecutive laps completed can provide an early indication of the competitive order.

Those factors were therefore the main focus during the closing stages of FP2. The session was interrupted by a red flag following Arvid Lindblad's crash, after which the drivers concentrated primarily on their long-run programmes. The rapidly evolving track conditions seen throughout Friday added another variable to the picture, but the early indications point towards Mercedes holding the advantage, with Ferrari also showing competitive pace and Red Bull remaining in contention on the longer runs.

Based on these FP2 figures, George Russell is the fastest on the medium tire. He averaged 1:39.611, compared to Kimi Antonelli’s 1:40.162 on the medium and Oscar Piastri’s 1:41.631 on the medium. Lando Norris is, of course, not included in the table because the Briton suffered a gearbox issue and did not run at all. Liam Lawson was unable to provide any long-run data - he was possibly on a different run plan.

Towards the end of the session, teams adopted different approaches to their long-run programmes. Red Bull opted for the soft tyre, with Verstappen completing six timed laps at an average of 1:39.952. Leclerc was the only other frontrunner to conduct his run on the same compound, averaging 1:41.679 when excluding his slower lap in the 1:43s. The considerable difference between the two underlines how difficult it is to make direct comparisons based purely on the lap times.

Ferrari split their programme across the two cars to gather information on different compounds, with Hamilton completing his race simulation on the mediums. The Briton averaged a 1:40.568, putting him closest to the two Mercedes drivers among those running the yellow-walled tyre. However, differences in fuel loads, tyre condition and run plans could significantly influence those numbers, while the evening conditions in which FP2 took place provide another reason to treat the data only as an early indication.

Red Bull's long run was also affected by a steering concern reported by Verstappen. The Dutchman told Gianpiero Lambiase that the steering felt heavy, although his race engineer indicated that the issue was not serious enough to stop the run. Verstappen continued before asking the team to investigate the matter after the session. On a circuit such as the Madring, where the barriers are close and there is little margin for error, steering confidence remains particularly important.

The teams will have another opportunity to refine their understanding of the new circuit in FP3 on Saturday. With another hour of running available, they can continue working on setup and tyre behaviour before qualifying. Given the limited knowledge of the Madring and the number of variables affecting Friday's programmes, the final practice session could provide a clearer indication of the competitive picture than the FP2 data alone.