ANTONELLI FASTEST ON SECOND DAY OF TESTING; ASTON MARTIN STILL HAS ISSUES

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time on the second day of the last week of F1 pre-season testing, as the Aston Martin still presents issues with their engine, which prevented Alonso from running in the PM session.

After a smooth first day of the second test week, teams returned to the track for the second-to-last day of testing before the Australian Grand Prix. For some drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Alexander Albon, this was their final full day in the car before Melbourne.

Max Verstappen, who had not driven the previous day, was also scheduled to run all day for Red Bull. Most other teams split driving duties between morning and afternoon sessions, switching the order from the day before. McLaren was the only team that did not change its plan.

The morning session began with McLaren and Lando Norris at the top. The British driver set the fastest time of the entire pre-season so far, a 1:33.453, just one tenth ahead of Verstappen and six tenths ahead of George Russell. All three drivers showed strong pace and consistency. Ferrari, however, only managed five laps early in the session.

Ferrari spent a long time in the garage with screens covering the car, but the team drew attention with a new rear wing design. The upper flap rotated around a central hinge, reaching a horizontal position and then continuing to turn up to 180 degrees, completely flipping over. It was one of the most talked-about technical features of the morning.

Cadillac also struggled early on. The American team needed over one and a half hour to complete its installation lap and two and a half hours to set a timed lap, which was eight seconds slower than Norris’ benchmark.

Overall, the morning did not see heavy running from all teams. Audi and Racing Bulls also spent time in the garage but returned before the final hour. Alonso completed 40 laps without major trouble, aside from one early lock-up, following a plan of short runs to test different setups.

Norris ended the morning as the fastest driver. Mercedes once again led in total laps completed, with 77, followed closely by McLaren and Williams with 72 and 71 laps.

In the afternoon, Lewis Hamilton was the first driver back on track. Ferrari had resolved the earlier chassis issues, and the new rotating rear wing was no longer fitted. Teams focused on long runs and race simulations.

Verstappen quickly showed strong pace, setting a 1:33.444, the fastest time of the day at that point and of the entire pre-season. It was a clear statement from the reigning world champion.

Alonso began his race simulation and completed the first stint smoothly, reaching 59 total laps. His pace looked consistent, and the team was gathering important data on tire wear and fuel use.

Then the day took a turn. During his long run, Alonso stopped on track after 26 laps of the stint. The session was neutralized while the car was carefully removed. After a delay, running resumed.

Verstappen improved again, lowering his time to 1:33.162. Several drivers began full race simulations using the C3 tire compound, including Oscar Piastri. Multiple teams were now running programs similar to a real race.

Later in the afternoon, Aston Martin confirmed that Alonso would not return to the track. The problem with the AMR26 ended his pre-season running earlier than planned.

In the final part of the day, Verstappen and Piastri completed full race simulations. However, the fastest time of the entire session went to Kimi Antonelli, who set a 1:32.803.

At the checkered flag, Antonelli finished on top of the timesheets. Verstappen was the busiest driver of the day, completing 139 laps, highlighting Red Bull’s intense testing program.

The Thursday session ended with plenty of data collected from long runs and race simulations, and with strong signs of competition as teams prepare for the start of the new Formula 1 season.

Day 2 results

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