All regular drivers got back behind the weheels of their cars, after nine of them missed FP1. The session began with an early drama for Kimi Antonelli, whose Mercedes went into reduced-power mode. He remained on track and was able to resolve the issue temporarily, returning to full pace while Aston Martin completed a series of installation laps on soft tyres.

Most of the field started on medium tyres, with Charles Leclerc fastest early on, posting a 1:18.669 before improving to 1:18.353 to lead the medium-tyre running. Lando Norris reported misfires and surges in his McLaren but continued to run laps, while George Russell experienced a snap of oversteer at Turn 10 in his Mercedes and had to take to the run-off area. Alex Albon also had a minor moment, letting the back of his Williams step out and lightly touching the wall at the final corner.

After the initial running, teams turned their focus to qualifying simulations. Leclerc set 1:17.545 before the low-fuel, soft-tyre runs began. Oscar Piastri managed just a 1:18 on his first attempt, while Norris recorded a similar time. Verstappen responded strongly despite low grip conditions, setting 1:17.392 to move to the top.

Lewis Hamilton made a mistake in the stadium section, losing several seconds on his flying lap, although he later improved to fifth fastest. Yuki Tsunoda also had a small moment after bottoming his Red Bull at Turn 2 but continued safely.

In the final stages, the session featured a mix of tyres, with Verstappen on mediums and others, including McLaren, on softs. Verstappen remained fastest, followed closely by Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, and Hamilton, all within three-tenths of a second. Oscar Piastri could not improve on his early lap and finished 12th, although McLaren showed promising long-run pace.