F1 Spanish GP: Kimi Antonelli leads tricky second practice as Arvid Lindblad crashes

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli clocked the fastest lap in the second hour of practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and keeping his teammate George Russell in fifth.

The paddock’s first impressions are split. Oscar Piastri called it “more difficult than some tracks”, noting how drivers are forced to “turn or head at the walls and then avoid them”. What unites them is a shared acknowledgement of the circuit’s “very high‑risk” nature, especially around La Monumental – a steeply banked horseshoe that sits at the heart of each lap.

Those risks translate into a tyre conundrum. Russell, who topped FP1 before slipping to fifth in FP2, warned that “there’s a big question mark over the tyre degradation”. The combination of relentless corner‑to‑corner braking, limited runoff and rapidly changing grip means crews are betting on how quickly the rubber‑laydown will soften the surface, and whether a six‑stop strategy – which looked optimal in practice – could ever be viable in a race that still feels “very smooth”. Mercedes’ deputy team principal Bradley Lord added that thermal fatigue could force extra stops beyond the computer‑generated plans, a scenario that could reshuffle the order late in the race.

The session’s only major incident came when Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad crashed, ending FP2 early and curtailing long‑run data. With overtaking already deemed “very tough” by Russell, the crash also removes a potential reference point for tyre‑wear trends, leaving teams to extrapolate from shorter stints.

As Sunday approaches, the picture is one of calculated risk. If tyre degradation proves as severe as the practice sessions suggest, teams may be forced into an extra pit stop, reshuffling the expected dominance of the leading Ferrari and Mercedes packages. Conversely, if the surface settles quickly, a two‑stop sprint could reward the drivers who mastered the banking of La Monumental. The unknowns around tyre wear and overtaking are likely to shape the race’s narrative more than outright pace, making the Spaniards’ first showdown at Madring as much a test of strategic acumen as of driver skill.