Spanish Grand Prix FP1: Norris leads the way in Barcelona as red flag interrupts session
Lando Norris showcased impressive pace in the opening practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix, clocking the fastest time to edge out Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. As Formula 1 embarks on a demanding triple-header, dry and sunny conditions at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya provided a welcome backdrop for teams and drivers.
The session began with multiple cars queuing in the pit lane, keen to make the most of the favorable weather conditions following a weekend of mixed weather in Canada. Among the first to hit the track was Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who took the wheel of Nico Hulkenberg’s car for the second of his scheduled six practice appearances with the team this season.
Many teams opted to use the initial part of the hour for essential testing. With upgrades introduced ahead of the weekend, the session was crucial for fine-tuning and optimizing performance.
Despite the productive start, not everything went smoothly. Sergio Perez, who will serve a three-place grid penalty on Saturday, reported issues with his throttle pedal, and his engineer promised further discussions back in the garage. Over at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc voiced his frustrations, stating, “The car is horrendous for now.”
Midway through the session, Verstappen topped the timesheets with a lap of 1m 15.424s. However, as times began to rapidly tumble, a red flag was brought out to clear a piece of debris from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin off the track.
After the brief stoppage, traffic became an issue for several drivers, with Leclerc particularly vocal, complaining about Lance Stroll’s positioning on the track. In the final moments of the session, Norris clinched the top spot with a blistering 1m 14.228s in his McLaren, finishing 0.024s ahead of Verstappen, who encountered clutch issues. Sainz secured third place.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloGeorge Russell continued his strong form, finishing fourth for Mercedes. Perez managed fifth, followed by Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in sixth. Lewis Hamilton placed seventh, trailed by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon in eighth, Alonso in ninth, and Alex Albon of Williams rounding out the top ten.
Leclerc concluded the session in P11, with Valtteri Bottas taking P12 in the Kick Sauber, as the team searches for their maiden points of the year. Pierre Gasly in Alpine was P13, Stroll P14, and Daniel Ricciardo P15, driving an RB with significant upgrades.
Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu finished in P16, followed by Kevin Magnussen of Haas in P17 and Logan Sargeant of Williams in P18. Oliver Bearman and Yuki Tsunoda completed the standings in P19 and P20, respectively.
With FP1 wrapped up, teams and drivers now have crucial insights to discuss and refine before they head out for the second practice session, aiming to further perfect their strategies and setups for the remainder of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
