F1 Spanish GP: Kimi Antonelli tops challenging second practice session as Arvid Lindblad suffers a crash.

Mercedes competitor Kimi Antonelli emerged at the top of the second practice for Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix, edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on Friday afternoon at the sweltering and demanding Madring circuit.

Antonelli clocked the quickest lap around the midpoint of the second hour-long session as drivers and teams incrementally refined their setups on the notably challenging Madrid track.

The 5.4km circuit, a blend of street sections and a specially designed layout featuring numerous high-speed turns, proved difficult to master right from the start. With minimal runoff available, teams adopted a cautious approach in the first practice, prioritizing optimal lap times as drivers acclimated and developed muscle memory.

Some of those training wheels began to come off in FP2, although lap times did not drop as significantly as anticipated, despite the improving grip conditions.

The championship frontrunner Antonelli set the early pace on medium tyres with a time of 1m34.428s, which was soon surpassed by Red Bull's Max Verstappen as drivers visibly struggled to keep their cars away from the barriers and find clear air amidst the narrow, concrete-lined paths.

Turn 17's right-hander proved especially challenging as several drivers ventured wide on exit, resulting in a track limits violation.

Lando Norris concluded the session in the garage due to gearbox issues

Antonelli quickly regained the lead with a lap of 1m33.926s, with FP1 leader and teammate George Russell close behind within a tenth.

The session intensified at the halfway point as most drivers switched to the quicker soft-tyre compound, which is proving difficult to maintain within optimal temperature ranges due to the relentless lateral forces putting Pirelli's rubber under significant strain.

Once again, Antonelli set the standard, stopping the clock at 1m33.662. Russell struggled to find a response, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc filling second and third, and Racing Bull's Arvid Lindblad impressively in fourth.

However, not long after, Lindblad's session abruptly ended as he crashed into the barriers at Turn 13, a medium-speed left-hander. Fortunately, Lindblad emerged unscathed as the session was red-flagged with 25 minutes remaining, while track marshals hurried to correct the TecPro barrier alignment affected by the British rookie's incident.

Due in part to the interruption, there were no further changes at the top of the leaderboard, confirming Antonelli's position ahead of Ferrari's Leclerc and Hamilton. Following Lindblad in fourth, Russell and Verstappen occupied fifth and sixth, with Oscar Piastri leading the McLarens in seventh after a challenging day for the reigning world champions.

Piastri's teammate, world champion Lando Norris, retreated to the garage after just two laps due to a transmission problem, prompting McLaren to replace the gearbox.

Arvid Lindblad also had to spend much of the session sidelined

Yuki Tsunoda, making his third appearance of the season while Isack Hadjar continues to recover from a wrist injury, secured eighth in the Racing Bulls car, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Red Bull's Liam Lawson rounded out the top 10.

As anticipated, it was a subdued start for fan favorites Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, finishing 16th and 17th respectively. Alonso experienced a delayed start to the session as Aston Martin addressed a clutch issue.