Lando Norris topped FP2 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as McLaren team-mate and fellow 2025 Formula 1 title contender Oscar Piastri's first session of the weekend did not go to plan.
Piastri had handed his car to IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward for FP1, meaning FP2 was his first time in the car and it showed. He ended the session 11th thanks to a massive lock-up at Turn 6 on his final flying lap before switching to long runs.
Teams switched to long-run simulations earlier in the session than they would at some other tracks, providing a relatively unusual order where drivers making mistakes - combined with fewer fast laps than normal - hurt their positions in the order.
Norris took the top spot with a 1m23.083s lap, 0.363s clear of his other title rival, Max Verstappen. There was an incident between the two early in the session when uncertainty on the radio meant Verstappen was on the racing line exiting the first corner while Norris was starting a push lap, which drew Norris's ire.
Mercedes' George Russell completed a pretty familiar top three, lapping 0.379s off Norris, before a bit of a mix-up in the order.
Ollie Bearman was straight out on softs early on but improved on multiple occasions and ended up fourth, saying on the Haas team radio: "The car is insane, I don't know why it's so good."
He headed the Saubers - that team is seven points behind Haas in the constructors' championship - with Nico Hulkenberg ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto.
Isack Hadjar was another driver to go onto the softs early and was seventh, ahead of Charles Leclerc, who was 0.575s off Norris's benchmark but still well clear of team-mate Lewis Hamilton in 14th. Hamilton reportedly had an issue on his final flying lap.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) took ninth ahead of the second Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, who wasn't happy with Esteban Ocon's Haas holding him up at Turn 6 - though the stewards decided to take no further action.
FP2 times
1 Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m23.083s
2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.363s
3 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.379s
4 Ollie Bearman (Haas) +0.418s
5 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +0.467s
6 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +0.487s
7 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.574s
8 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.575s
9 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.625s
10 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.667s
11 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.680s
12 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.749s
13 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.789s
14 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.856s
15 Alex Albon (Williams) +0.867s
16 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +0.875s
17 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1.220s
18 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.391s
19 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.688s
20 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1.880s
