Spanish Grand Prix - FP2: Piastri leads while Mercedes is back in business

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya baked under the Spanish sun as Formula 1's second practice session for the 2025 Aramco Gran Premio de España concluded, and it was McLaren who once again stamped their authority, though this time with a different face at the top. After Lando Norris dominated FP1, teammate Oscar Piastri answeder in style, leading a session that hinted at a tantalisingly close battle for supremacy as the weekend progresses. With air temperatures hovering around a warm 28.7°C and the track a sizzling 41.6°C, conditions remained challenging, demanding precision from drivers and resilience from the machinery.

Piastri Paces FP2, McLaren Dominance Continues in Barcelona

The papaya cars seem to have found a sweet spot at the classic Spanish venue. Following Lando Norris's table-topping performance in the morning, Oscar Piastri surged to the forefront in the afternoon, laying down a marker that suggests McLaren's strong form is no flash in the pan. The Australian, clearly unfazed by his teammate's earlier benchmark, looked utterly at home around the demanding Catalunya layout.

Piastri's Perfect Lap

Oscar Piastri was in a class of his own when it came to the qualifying simulation runs. The young Australian delivered a stunning lap of 1m 12.760s on the soft compound tyres, a time that would remain unbeaten for the remainder of the session. What was particularly impressive about Piastri's effort was his mastery across all three sectors; he went purple – the fastest of all – in each segment. This indicates a car with no obvious weaknesses around this old-school track, a balanced package that Piastri exploited to its fullest. It was a significant statement, especially after a somewhat messy Monaco weekend for him and seeing Norris so quick in FP1. Instead of showing any signs of being rattled, Piastri appeared cool, calm, and collected, putting himself firmly in contention for pole position. This sets up an incredibly tight intra-team fight with Norris, and potentially others, for tomorrow.

Norris Matches Verstappen: A Sign of a Tight Battle?

While Piastri stole the headlines, Lando Norris wasn't far behind, though his ultimate position of P4, sharing the exact same lap time of 1m 13.070s as Max Verstappen, tells an interesting story. Norris, who set the fastest first sector on his soft tyre run, ultimately slotted in behind Verstappen by virtue of the reigning champion setting his identical time first. This minute detail underscores just how close the margins are at the sharp end. McLaren reportedly experimented with different rear wing configurations on their two cars in FP1, but reverted to the same specification for both in FP2, suggesting they've honed in on a preferred setup. The data gathered with 20 laps from Piastri on mediums during his long run, and similar efforts from Norris, will be invaluable. While McLaren showed a healthy advantage in both Friday sessions, it was often with just one car truly nailing the ultimate lap. The chasing pack is ready to pounce on any slip-up.

Challengers Emerge: Who Can Take the Fight to McLaren?

While McLaren enjoyed the view from the top, several other teams demonstrated flashes of pace, suggesting that Saturday's qualifying session could be a multi-team affair. Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari all showed signs of competitiveness, though each faced their own unique set of challenges and learnings.

Mercedes Shows Promise in the Heat

Mercedes enjoyed a particularly encouraging FP2. George Russell emerged as Piastri's closest challenger, finishing second with a lap time of 1m 13.046s, a mere 0.286s adrift of the leading McLaren. The Silver Arrows, now featuring rookie Kimi Antonelli alongside Russell, seem to have made strides in managing their car in high temperatures, an area where they've struggled in the past. The team opted not to run the soft tyres in FP1, concentrating on the harder and medium compounds, which made their FP2 pace on the red-marked Pirellis all the more intriguing. Antonelli, in only his ninth Grand Prix weekend, delivered a much-improved performance, securing a solid P6. He was three-tenths behind his more experienced teammate, but it was a confident showing from the highly-rated Italian teenager. This performance suggests Mercedes may have found some effective cooling solutions and could be genuine contenders, especially if they can maintain this form as track conditions evolve. Russell had a hairy moment when he came across a slow-moving Carlos Sainz, but kept his foot in, demonstrating trust in his rival, which was duly reciprocated.

Red Bull: Verstappen Close, Tsunoda Further Back

Red Bull Racing, with their new driver line-up of Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda for 2025, had a mixed session. Verstappen, ever the benchmark, was right in the mix, ending up P3 with a lap identical to Norris's, just 0.024s shy of Russell's Mercedes. The Dutchman is a master at wringing every last tenth out of his machinery, and Red Bull are renowned for their ability to find significant improvements overnight. Verstappen was seen getting a close look at the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, even getting a tow down the main straight before Leclerc accelerated to maintain his position. It was a moment that offered a glimpse into the potential importance of the tow here, especially in qualifying. However, his new teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, had a quieter session, finishing in P13, over 0.9s off Piastri's pace and 0.6s behind Verstappen. There's clearly work to do on Tsunoda's side of the garage to close that gap.

Ferrari's Friday Struggles?

Ferrari, now home to Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc, appeared to have a more challenging Friday. Leclerc was the faster of the two Prancing Horses, but could only manage P5, half a second adrift of Piastri. The Monegasque driver was visibly wrestling with his SF-25, which looked particularly twitchy and difficult to handle. He nearly lost the rear on one occasion, highlighting the car's edgy nature. Lewis Hamilton, still acclimatizing to his new Maranello surroundings, ended the session in P11, nearly eight-tenths off the pace. Both drivers had hinted before the weekend that Barcelona might be a tougher circuit for them, and these initial signs suggest their predictions might be accurate. The car didn't look nailed down, and significant setup work will be required overnight if they are to join the fight at the very front.

Midfield Mix and Rookie Impressions

Beyond the leading contenders, the midfield battle showed early signs of being typically fierce, with several drivers putting in noteworthy performances. The session also provided further valuable track time for the crop of exciting rookies on the 2025 grid.

Home Hero Alonso and Alpine's Gasly Shine

Fernando Alonso, always a star attraction on home soil, gave the Spanish fans plenty to cheer about. The Aston Martin driver put in a strong performance to secure P7 with a 1m 13.301s. His teammate, Lance Stroll, had a more troubled session, complaining about his car before pitting and climbing out, suggesting a potentially time-consuming issue for the Canadian, who ended P16 on the hard tyres without a representative soft tyre run. Pierre Gasly, in the Alpine, continued his impressive form, backing up a strong FP1 by finishing P8 in the second session with a 1m 13.385s.

Racing Bulls Impress with Both Cars in Top 10

The Racing Bulls team had a very positive FP2, with both their drivers, rookie Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, making it into the top 10. Hadjar, in his debut F1 season, was an excellent P9, lapping in 1m 13.400s. Lawson, who has prior F1 race experience, slotted in just behind in P10 with a 1m 13.494s. This strong showing from both cars suggests the Faenza-based squad could be a dark horse for points this weekend.

Rookie Watch: Antonelli, Bortoleto, Hadjar, Colapinto, Bearman

Beyond Antonelli's P6 and Hadjar's P9, the other rookies had varied fortunes. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) finished P17, a couple of tenths and five places behind his experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg (P12). Franco Colapinto (Alpine) had a difficult day; after a hydraulic leak cut short his FP1 running, he found himself P20 again in FP2, 1.5s off the pace and nine-tenths behind teammate Gasly. With Alpine clearly having top-10 potential in Gasly's hands, the pressure will be on the young Argentine to find more pace. Oliver Bearman (Haas F1 Team) also had a challenging session. The Briton, in P19, spun off at Turn 3 early in the session, going through the gravel. This incident not only brought out a brief yellow flag but also likely flat-spotted his tyres and potentially damaged the floor, costing him valuable track time. He only completed a handful of laps initially, and any lost running is detrimental, especially as Haas continues to understand the upgrades introduced earlier in the season. His teammate Esteban Ocon, who sat out FP1, was P18.

Technical Focus and Barcelona Challenges

The Spanish Grand Prix weekend always brings a unique set of technical challenges, from tyre management in the heat to the ongoing scrutiny of aerodynamic components.

Hot Conditions and Tyre Management

The conditions remained scorching throughout FP2. Although the track temperature dropped slightly from the 50°C seen earlier to 48°C and then further to 41.6°C by session end, the consistent heat placed significant stress on the Pirelli tyres. For this race, Pirelli has brought its harder range of compounds: the C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), and C3 (Soft). This selection, after two races featuring softer compounds, is generally welcomed by teams, particularly in high temperatures like Barcelona's. It could potentially help teams like Mercedes, who have sometimes struggled with tyre wear in hotter conditions. Most teams focused their qualifying simulations on the softs, while long runs were predominantly conducted on the mediums and hards to gather crucial data for Sunday's race.

Front Wing Flexibility Directive

A significant technical talking point this weekend is the new directive from the FIA regarding front wing flexibility. Tougher load tests are being imposed from this round onwards to address concerns about wings flexing under load for aerodynamic benefit. FIA Single Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis explained that this tightening was deemed necessary as championship battles intensified in 2024, leading to increased scrutiny between teams. It remains to be seen whether this Technical Directive will have a noticeable impact on the competitive order.

Track Familiarity and Challenges

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a track all teams and drivers know intimately from years of testing. However, familiarity doesn't necessarily equate to ease. It's a tricky circuit to master, with its blend of sweeping, mostly medium-speed corners and the revised, faster final sector layout introduced a couple of years ago. Nailing a lap requires a well-balanced car and precise driver input. Pole position is particularly crucial here; securing clean air at the start allows a driver to manage tyre temperatures and potentially pull away while those behind grapple with overheating in dirty air.

Noteworthy Moments from FP2

The session wasn't without its share of minor incidents and interesting on-track encounters that added to the narrative of the day.

Bearman's Spin and Lost Time

Oliver Bearman's early spin at Turn 3 was a setback for the Haas rookie. Replays showed him getting a bit wide and losing the rear, sending him skating through the gravel. While he managed to return to the track, the incident cost him significant running time as his car was checked over in the pits. This was particularly unhelpful for Haas, who are still working to fully understand their recent upgrade package.

Stroll's Issues and Alonso's Frustration

Lance Stroll's Aston Martin seemed to be suffering from an ailment, as he complained over the radio before pitting. The Canadian driver then climbed out of his car, indicating that the issue might require more than a quick fix, hampering his FP2 programme. His teammate Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, expressed some frustration after being baulked by his former McLaren and future Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton, at the start of a flying lap.

Traffic and the Art of the Tow

Traffic, while not as critical as on street circuits like Monaco, still played its part. Max Verstappen found himself receiving an opportunistic tow from Charles Leclerc down the main straight, only for Leclerc to then accelerate and prevent the Red Bull from disrupting his own lap by running in his dirty air. Verstappen appeared to see the humorous side, but it was a live demonstration of the cat-and-mouse games that can unfold.

Colapinto's Struggles Continue

For Alpine's Franco Colapinto, FP2 didn't bring the desired improvement after his FP1 was compromised by a hydraulic leak. Finishing P20 again, well adrift of his teammate, the Argentine rookie will be hoping for a significant step forward in FP3. The pressure can build quickly in Formula 1, and he'll be keen to demonstrate his potential.

What to Expect for the Rest of the Weekend

With Friday's running complete, all eyes now turn to an action-packed Saturday, featuring the final practice session followed by the crucial qualifying hour.

Qualifying Set for a Tight Affair

The timesheets from FP2, particularly at the top, suggest that qualifying could be an incredibly close contest. While McLaren holds a slight edge, the gaps tend to narrow as teams refine setups and extract more performance overnight. Mercedes, Red Bull, and potentially a resurgent Ferrari could all be in the hunt. Many teams, including McLaren, were still seen running flow-vis paint at times during FP2, indicating that data acquisition and testing were still ongoing. Come Saturday, the focus will shift squarely to single-lap pace.

The Importance of Pole at Catalunya

As always in Barcelona, securing pole position will be a massive advantage. The long run to Turn 1 offers an opportunity for those behind, but leading into that first corner and benefiting from clean air allows for better tyre management and can be a decisive factor in race strategy, especially given the high degradation often seen here and the challenges of cooling in turbulent air.

Friday's practice sessions have certainly set the stage for an enthralling Spanish Grand Prix weekend. Oscar Piastri and McLaren have thrown down the gauntlet, but with such tight margins and several teams showing strong potential, the battle for supremacy in Barcelona is far from over. FP3 tomorrow will offer one last chance for teams to perfect their setups before the all-important qualifying shootout. Don't miss it!