F1 British GP live commentary and updates - FP2
Follow all the action minute-by-minute from second free practice at F1's British Grand Prix in Silverstone.
Live Commentary
By: Filip Cleeren
See you tomorrow
We will leave it there for now. Here's the schedule for Saturday.
FP3 - 11:30 BST (06:30 EST - 12:30 CET)
Qualifying: 15:00 BST (10:00 EST - 16:00 CET)
Meanwhile, keep an eye on the website for the drivers' reactions to Friday running and all the news from our journalists in the paddock at this critical point of the season.
See you here tomorrow for FP3 and qualifying!
Here's a recap of everything that happened in FP2 by Jake Boxall-Legge
F1 British GP: Norris beats Leclerc and Hamilton to top FP2
Norris says he would trade in all of his wins for a victory on home soil. He's gotten off to a good start.
Over in the midfield Racing Bulls and Aston Martin appear to be the frontrunners. It has been a bit of a messy session for Williams, which is known to have a car sensitive to the gusty conditions we have seen today.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda is 15th after his lone practice session today. Still plenty of work to do for him.
Norris leads Leclerc and Hamilton
Lando Norris comfortably tops second free practice at the British Grand Prix, ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen are also in the top five.
We will do a deeper dive this evening, but initially Verstappen actually doesn't look too bad on long run pace. He's closer to McLaren and Ferrari than he was over one lap.
Mercedes' Russell and Antonelli do look a few tenths per lap off the pace, however.
Sainz summoned
Sainz's evening is set to be a bit longer as he is summoned by the FIA race stewards for what was a potentially dangerous rejoin after his spin.
"Alleged breach of Article 33.4 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations – Driving a car in a manner potentially dangerous to other drivers at 16:16."
Leclerc and the McLarens are lapping in the low 1m32 territory, Hamilton's pace is a little slower at the moment. But that's just a snapshot.
Verstappen bangs in a 1m32 flat, but he is earlier in his long run on fresher mediums.
We're barely seeing any hard tyres today. It's the two Haas drivers that are on them now, while this morning the Williams cars also did their high fuel work on the hardest compound.
Most cars are now on medium tyres for the remainder of the session as they gather long run data.
Here's Kimi Antonelli plugging away with Lando Norris' grandstand in the background.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images
Norris leads the way in sectors one and three, while Leclerc was marginally quicker in sector two, the section that includes Copse, Maggotts and Becketts.
At the other end of the field it's not looking so rosy for Alpine right now, Pierre Gasly just went 18th with his soft-tyre run, Franco Colapinto is dead last.
Unlike several of its midfield rivals, Alpine has no upgrades.
We're normally in long run territory now, but Max Verstappen is going to have another go before doing that.
The world champion's latest effort moves him up to fifth, half a second away from Norris.
It's a good lap from Lance Stroll too in the Aston Martin, as the Canadian goes sixth in between Antonelli and Russell.
Stroll has now also received the upgraded floor and bodywork that Alonso trialled in FP1. Both cars look set to keep them.
Nope, Leclerc wanted to go again after that issue left him dissatisfied. He duly goes quicker and splits Norris and Hamilton in second.
Ferrari seems to be confirming its progress.
McLaren and Ferrari occupy top four
Hamilton goes second, three tenths behind Norris. Their positions from FP1 are reversed.
And that looks like the end of the quali sims for the frontrunners, some midfielders are still going.
Max Verstappen can only manage eighth for Red Bull, eighth tenths behind Norris. It's only Friday, but he is clearly not enjoying that car balance.
Norris goes top
And there he is. Comfortably quickest for Norris with a 1m25.816s.
Meanwhile, Leclerc says there is something wrong with his front-left corner which is costing him plenty of laptime.
There's Piastri, and it's not enough to demote Leclerc. He is 0.084s slower in the McLaren.
What about Norris? Answer to follow.
Leclerc's Ferrari looks rather twitchy in the first sector, but it is quick. He dips below Antonelli's time with a 1m26.202s.
It really does look gusty out there.
Third and fifth for Hadjar and Lawson, while we await a response from the Ferraris and McLarens.
Antonelli leads
Russell is the first man up and he goes quickest on softs with a 1m26.523s, but his team-mate Kimi Antonelli is slightly quicker: 1m26.383s is the new benchmark.
The next wave of cars is coming out of the pits and they're all on soft boots. Qualifying runs coming up shortly.
Hamilton has set another flyer, and it's faster once more. He puts a 1m26.592s on the board, leading Leclerc and Piastri who have both leapfrogged Hadjar.
Technically you still have Woodcote, don't you, but that's hardly a corner.
Anyway, Williams' theory for Sainz's spin is a 20km/h gust of wind as he touched the kerb.
Sainz spins
Carlos Sainz has spun his Williams coming out of Luffield, formerly the final corner, but these days it's Turn 7.
No harm done, although his rejoin is being looked at as Nico Hulkenberg had to try and avoid him.
Is Verstappen happier with his car now? Well...
"Have you seen my front tyres in the high speed?! They just don't respond!"
He's been bumped down to eighth fastest as all frontrunners use the medium tyres.
Lewis Hamilton has gone quicker still with a 1m26.902s, which is a tenth and a half faster than Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar.
Russell, Piastri and Leclerc complete the top five after a quarter.
Mark Mann-Bryans has wandered over to Maggots and Becketts, which is as good a place as any on Silverstone to watch the cars.
The only downside to high-speed Silverstone is that you are physically quite far away, but it's still a privilege nonetheless.
Photo by: Mark Mann-Bryans
Max Verstappen goes second after a difficult first practice session in which he struggled with the handling of the Red Bull.
It's traffic paradise again, to qote Yuki Tsunoda. Lando Norris encounters a rogue Sauber on the apex of Copse, which is... not ideal.
Liam Lawson also runs the gamut of expletives after being baulked in the first sector by Oliver Bearman in the Haas.
Lewis Hamilton picks up where he left off by being fastest out of the gate, a 1m27.280s on mediums which is two tenths quicker than his team-mate Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Green flag
Off we go. Nico Hulkenberg leads a throng of cars out of pitlane.
The drivers are strapped in for one more hour of running today. Nice summer weather with 24C temperatures, no rain in sight, and the majestic Silverstone circuit ready and waiting.
What's not to like?
Horner responds to Verstappen "noise"
In the press conference Horner was naturally asked about the whole Max Verstappen deal.
Horner said there was a lot of "noise", but when asked whether or not Max would definitely be staying in 2026, Horner didn't take the opportunity to shut that noise down.
"Look, the contracts between the drivers and the teams are always going to remain confidential,” he replied.
“With any driver's contract, there is an element of performance mechanism. And, of course, that exists within Max's contract.
“Now, absolutely, his intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026. Now, it's inevitable that he's of huge interest to any other team in the pitlane. I think the most important thing is the clarity that exists between Max and the team, and that's very clear."
That's not a categorical no, is it?
Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg will be logging their first miles today after ceding their cars to a rookie in FP1.
Red Bull's 17-year-old talent Arvid Lindblad seems to have impressed team boss Christian Horner, who said: "He's a talented young guy, only 17 years of age.
"To jump into the car here at this tough circuit, to be only within half a second, he acquitted himself very well. His feedback was clear and concise. He's definitely a prospect for the future."
Here's a quick recap of the morning session courtesy of Mark Mann-Bryans.
F1 British GP: Hamilton leads McLaren in hot FP1 at Silverstone
Welcome
Welcome back for second free practice at Silverstone's British Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton led Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in first practice today. Can Ferrari keep up its impressive start or will McLaren go clear? Let's find out.
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