Antonelli beats Ferrari to top second practice for F1 Spanish GP

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fastest in the second practice for the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid on Friday.

The Mercedes driver clocked the fastest time of 1 minute 33.662 seconds, beating the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc by 0.113 seconds. Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari was third.

George Russell, who topped the early session, was only fifth this time, behind the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad, who crashed out of the session.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull was sixth, while title holder Lando Norris didn't participate in the second practice due to car issues.

"We identified an issue on Lando's car, which requires a gearbox change. We are working to try and get Lando back out before the end of the session, although time is very tight," his McLaren team said on X.

After coming from 19th to claim a sensational win on home soil at the Italian GP last weekend, Antonelli tops the drivers' standings 66 points ahead of Mercedes team-mate Russell.

The new circuit in Madrid is making its debut on the F1 calendar and has been described as "crazy," "scary," and the season's "most complicated."

While the first F1 practice ran smoothly, there was a red flag in the second session after Lindblad hit the wall.

He turned into Turn 13 and the rear slid out from him as he slid into the barriers sideways, hitting with both the front and the rear.

In the Formula Two practice, Thai driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak hit the barrier at Turn 19 as his car caught on fire, releasing a lot of smoke. He climbed out of the car and was initially unharmed.

The circuit in Madrid it's considered very challenging because of its fast turns, and there are also several sections where drivers can barely see what's ahead of them. Run-off areas are also scarce.