In a thrilling display of speed and skill, Oscar Piastri concluded Friday's practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix by setting the fastest time during the second practice (FP2). The McLaren driver and current championship leader outpaced his competitors by nearly three-tenths of a second, with George Russell from Mercedes and Max Verstappen of Red Bull trailing closely behind.
Before Piastri's impressive FP2 performance, it was Lando Norris who established the early pace in the first practice session, topping the timesheets by a substantial three-tenths from Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in Spain. The drivers returned to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for FP2 at 1700 local time, facing hot and humid conditions. Notably, Esteban Ocon was among the first to hit the track after handing over his Haas car to Ryo Hirakawa during FP1.
In FP1, Franco Colapinto also made an early appearance as the Alpine team addressed a hydraulic issue that had curtailed his running in the first session. The start of the hour was bustling, as all 20 drivers made their presence felt within the first few minutes, predominantly utilizing the medium C2 tyres.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing; Ollie Bearman from Haas experienced a spin at Turn 3, fortunately managing to return to the track. This incident limited his lap count, as he spent considerable time in the garage. Additionally, Isack Hadjar expressed his frustration over traffic, labeling it "a joke," leading stewards to note Colapinto for potentially impeding him, although no further investigation ensued.
Another driver voicing his frustration was Fernando Alonso, who was irked by Hamilton's Ferrari disrupting his flying lap. Alonso remarked, “We have the hero of the day in front of us,” highlighting the competitive spirit that pervades the paddock. As the session progressed, Russell initially set the pace, clocking a time of 1m 13.046s, leading a Mercedes 1-2 alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli.
As the session approached its midpoint and drivers shifted focus to qualifying simulations, the intensity ramped up. Norris narrowly missed Russell's benchmark by just three-hundredths of a second, while he and Verstappen both recorded identical lap times of 1m 13.070s.
Then, in an impressive display, Piastri surged to the top of the leaderboard with a stunning lap of 1m 12.760s, placing him nearly three-tenths clear of Russell. Meanwhile, Ferrari appeared to struggle, with Charles Leclerc sliding during his attempt while Hamilton lingered in 11th place, a significant eight-tenths off the pace.
As FP2 progressed into its final third, Piastri's time remained unchallenged, solidifying his position ahead of Russell and Verstappen. In the closing minutes, Verstappen had a moment after taking a tow from Leclerc, who then accelerated to avoid the turbulent air from another car, prompting a sarcastic laugh from the Red Bull driver.
Despite Norris matching Verstappen's time, he remained in fourth due to timing discrepancies. Leclerc ended the session as the top Ferrari in fifth, with Antonelli in sixth and the home favorite Alonso in seventh. Pierre Gasly from Alpine followed up his top-10 finish in FP1 with an eighth-place result in FP2, while Hadjar and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.
Veteran driver Hamilton had to settle for 11th place, with the rest of the grid consisting of Nico Hulkenberg in 12th, Yuki Tsunoda in 13th, and the Williams duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon occupying the 14th and 15th positions, respectively. Lance Stroll finished 16th, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto in 17th, Ocon in 18th, Bearman in 19th, and Colapinto rounding out the field in 20th.
With Friday's sessions complete, teams and drivers are now analyzing their data as they prepare for the third and final practice session on Saturday at 1130 local time. This session will be followed by the all-important qualifying round later in the afternoon, setting the stage for an exhilarating race at the Spanish Grand Prix.
