Overview

• Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both struck the barriers in FP2, with Norris suffering rear suspension damage and losing half the session while their best laps left them only 10th and 12th.
• Lewis Hamilton set the FP2 benchmark for Ferrari in 1:41.293, with Charles Leclerc just 0.074 seconds slower, as George Russell took third for Mercedes and Max Verstappen placed sixth for Red Bull.
• Oscar Piastri was investigated for not slowing under yellow flags and received an official reprimand, avoiding a grid penalty after stewards cited mitigating timing factors.
• Team principal Andrea Stella said McLaren’s Monza position swap was reviewed and confirmed to have followed pre-agreed ‘Papaya rules,’ which the team will continue to apply.
• McLaren can clinch the constructors’ title in Baku only by outscoring Ferrari by nine points, a target made more uncertain by limited running and data indicating Ferrari’s strong pace on longer runs.