GP d'Autriche: Kimi Antonelli Dominates Free Practice 2, Reluctantly Relegates Teammate George Russell to 6th Place

It was business as usual on a scorching hot day in Austria as 19-year-old Italian prodigy Kimi Antonelli took centre stage once again, leaving reigning world champion George Russell in the shadows. Fresh from a dominant first practice session, Antonelli continued to showcase his incredible talent, securing the fastest time by a margin of 40 milliseconds over his teammate, George Russell, who was relegated to 6th place.

As temperatures soared, Antonelli's blistering pace proved too much for the competition, with the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris unable to keep up. Norris, a four-time Red Bull Racing champion, could only manage 3rd place, leaving Max Verstappen, a seven-time world champion still seeking his 8th title at 41, a disappointing 4th.

Another notable performance came from young French driver Isack Hadjar, who secured the 7th spot, just behind Russell, who is still searching for a first win of the season. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, a driver considered one of the most talented alongside Antonelli, but struggling with his own performances lately, finished in 8th place.

Other French drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, were unable to break into the top 10, finishing in 11th and 15th place respectively. Meanwhile, the two other Frenchmen, Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Esteban Ocon (Haas), trailed behind in the 11th and 16th positions.

Here's the full classification from the second free practice session:

Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes) 1:07.014 (32 laps)

Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:07.251 (32)

Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:07.339 (32)

Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:07.564 (29)

Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) 1:07.611 (33)

George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 1:07.637 (25)

Isack Hadjar (FRA/Red Bull) 1:07.758 (28)

Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1:07.855 (35)

Liam Lawson (NZL/Racing Bulls-Red Bull) 1:08.235 (34)

Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Audi) 1:08.300 (30)

Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Mercedes) 1:08.376 (33)

Arvid Lindblad (GBR/Racing Bulls-Red Bull) 1:08.378 (29)

Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas-Ferrari) 1:08.532 (33)

Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Audi) 1:08.559 (32)

Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Mercedes) 1:08.830 (33)

Franco Colapinto (ARG/Williams-Mercedes) 1:08.831 (30)