Friday’s second practice session (FP2) at the Circuit de Barcelona‑Catalunya saw 19‑year‑old Red Bull junior Kimi Antonelli post the quickest time, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by a narrow margin. Antonelli, who is making his first appearance in a Formula 1 weekend, recorded a lap of 1:16.342, while Leclerc’s best was 1:16.487, according to the official timing sheets released by Formula 1.
The Italian‑born British driver, who has been impressing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, was given a test run with the AlphaTauri team as part of Red Bull’s talent development programme. His performance in FP2 not only demonstrated raw speed but also an ability to extract consistent performance from a car that is still being dialled in for the weekend. The session was marked by a relatively clean track, allowing drivers to push hard in the latter stages, and Antonelli capitalised on the optimal tyre temperatures to set his benchmark lap.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had been expected to dominate the practice sessions after a strong showing in the previous Grand Prix, was left in second place. Leclerc’s lap time placed him comfortably ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who struggled with brake balance and finished third in the session. The gap between Antonelli and the Ferrari duo underscores the potential impact of Red Bull’s junior programme and adds intrigue to the upcoming sprint race, where the starting grid will be decided by the results of Friday’s qualifying.
For Indian fans, the FP2 session took place at 13:30 IST, and the full practice can be streamed live on FanCode with a subscription. The sprint qualifying later on Saturday will start at 15:00 IST, and the main Grand Prix race is scheduled for 12:00 IST on Sunday, 24 October. Fans can also follow live timing and commentary on the official Formula 1 app, which offers a dedicated India feed.
Antonelli’s performance adds another chapter to the growing narrative of young talent making an impact in Formula 1, and his pace will be closely watched as the weekend progresses. Should he continue to challenge the established drivers, Red Bull could have a fresh option to consider for future line‑ups.
Source: Formula1.com
