The second practice session at Zandvoort carried the same restless energy that defined FP1, a sense that, outside of McLaren, much of the grid would have happily stayed on summer break and waited for the 2026 regulations.
But the timesheets told a different story. Lando Norris topped FP2 with a 1:09.890, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Charles Leclerc, Franco Colapinto, and Nico Hülkenberg.
Stroll’s Crash and Max’s Concern
The biggest talking point came at Turn 3, where Lance Stroll lost the car and hit the barriers. Verstappen was immediately on the radio asking about Stroll’s hands, mindful of his earlier injuries and recalling Daniel Ricciardo’s crash here. Stroll didn’t instinctively release the wheel despite the crash being inevitable, highlighting the tension between instinct and self-preservation. In Singapore 2023 he had released just in time, but here there wasn’t a violent jerk on the wheel, perhaps sparing him further damage.
Technically, the incident was a case of late front locking combined with braking while already turning. The car was bouncing unsettled, and with Zandvoort dipping away right at the loss of grip, the margin for error was tiny. Add nearby traffic into the mix and Stroll found himself in an awkward, punishing situation where even a small miscalculation ended in the barriers. His pace before the crash, though, was encouraging, he looked quick in FP1, where Aston Martin were already catching the eye with their unexpected speed.
Aston Martin’s Strong Form
The team’s pace across both sessions is now impossible to ignore. In FP1 their speed was branded “ridiculous,” and Alonso carried that momentum into FP2 with P2 on the timesheets. Stroll’s crash aside, this car looks far more comfortable around Zandvoort than it did at most circuits earlier in the year. With Singapore coming soon, another high-downforce track where they should be competitive, Aston finally looks like it could fight for a podium again.
Franco, Flavio, and Alpine’s Dilemma
Colapinto’s P9 added intrigue to Alpine’s situation. With Flavio Briatore pushing for stronger performances from young drivers, it’s hard to ignore that Franco delivered when it mattered. Briatore’s bluntness has been exaggerated in some media spin (his comments were more supportive than critical) but the message is clear: Alpine needs results from its junior talent. Colapinto has the opportunity to lock down his place for 2026 by finishing this season with solid performances, especially given that the other rookies on reserve don’t look like a meaningful upgrade and Alpine won’t want another rookie alongside a Pierre Gasly. Franco has been handed both an ultimatum and an opportunity, and FP2 suggested he’s responding the right way.
McLaren’s Pit Lane Drama
McLaren were already in control of the pace in FP1, and they carried that dominance into FP2 with Norris topping the session again. But alongside the speed came drama in the pit lane. A near-miss involving Oscar Piastri and George Russell led to a €5,000 fine for McLaren, after Piastri was forced to briefly re-enter the fast lane during a red flag period and Russell had to brake heavily to avoid him. It was a situation that could easily have ended in contact or injury, and the stewards made clear how seriously they viewed it.
It capped off a strange day for the Woking team, dominant on track, but at the center of stewards’ paperwork thanks to a clerical mix-up that initially summoned Norris instead of Piastri.
Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull Still in the Shadows
While Russell’s P4 hinted at some potential, Mercedes looked uncertain across both sessions. Ferrari and Red Bull, meanwhile, continued to struggle, their heavily anticipated upgrades behaving more like downgrades, leaving them slower and with little to show for their efforts. The sarcastic refrain from FP1 that their “downgrades were successful” carried perfectly into FP2.
Zandvoort’s Hungry Vibe
The weekend so far has been unforgiving. Antonelli’s gravel trip in FP1 caused an early red flag, and by FP2 Albon had joined the “beached boys” club after Turn 3 bit back. Zandvoort feels “hungry” this year, catching out drivers at every opportunity, and the long summer break may have only sharpened its teeth.
Through two sessions, Zandvoort has produced a weekend heavy on storylines: Aston Martin’s resurgence, McLaren’s speed paired with pit-lane drama, Alpine’s pressure on Colapinto, and Ferrari and Red Bull’s puzzling step backward. Between crashes, fines, and endless steward summons, Friday already feels like a week’s worth of racing compressed into a single day.