Oscar Piastri tops friday practice at Spanish Grand Prix, edging out George Russell
Oscar Piastri Tops Friday Practice Ahead of Spanish Grand Prix
Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive performance on Friday, putting McLaren at the top of the timesheets during second practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri, who leads the championship standings, clocked a blistering lap time of 1:12.760 at the Circuit de Catalunya to close the day as the fastest driver.
The Australian's pace came after his McLaren teammate and title rival, Lando Norris, set the tone in the opening session with a time of 1:13.718 under the intense early afternoon sun. Norris, fresh off a sensational victory at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, ultimately finished fourth in the second session, just 0.310 seconds adrift of Piastri’s benchmark.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the defending winner of the Spanish Grand Prix, demonstrated consistent speed across both sessions, taking second in the first outing and third in the evening session. Mercedes’ George Russell emerged as Piastri’s closest competitor in practice two, ending the day 0.286 seconds behind.
Championship Battle Heats Up
The championship battle remains razor-tight as Norris has slashed Piastri’s lead to just three points after eight of the season’s 24 scheduled races. Should Norris claim victory on Sunday, he would overtake Piastri in the driver standings.
While Verstappen showed strong pace during both sessions, his day wasn’t without challenges. The Dutchman, who secured his first-ever Formula 1 win at this circuit back in 2016, lost approximately 20 minutes of running in the first session as Red Bull mechanics worked on his car’s rear suspension. Despite the setback, Verstappen remains poised to contend for the top honors this weekend.
Mixed Fortunes for Ferrari and Stricter Regulations
Ferrari experienced a day of ups and downs, with Lewis Hamilton—who has a record-equalling six Spanish GP victories—starting the weekend on a high by claiming third on the timesheets during the first session. However, the seven-time world champion struggled to replicate that form in the later session, finishing only 11th. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc looked more competitive in the evening, securing fifth spot in practice two.
Friday marked the debut of updated front wings designed to meet newly enforced flex tests, part of the stricter technical regulations introduced for this weekend. Teams approached Friday’s practice cautiously, with little clarity about how the changes would impact performance.
“I think it’s going to take more than one session to see if there is an impact—or if so, how it’s affected the different cars,” said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. “It didn’t sound from the drivers’ comments too different to a normal Friday.”
Top Performers and Young Driver Opportunities
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was sixth fastest in practice two, narrowly edging out Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who secured seventh. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed eighth, while Racing Bulls teammates Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson rounded out the top 10.
The first session also allowed two young drivers to gain experience. French Formula 2 driver Victor Martins took over Alex Albon’s seat at Williams, while Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa stepped into Esteban Ocon’s Haas. Both drivers used the opportunity to gather valuable track time on the challenging Barcelona circuit.
Eyes on Sunday’s Race
With the weekend still wide open, all eyes are on Sunday’s race, where McLaren hopes to extend its dominant form while fierce challenges from Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes loom large. Stay tuned for what promises to be another thrilling chapter in the 2023 Formula 1 season.
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