FP1 Highlights ¦ 2025 Spanish Grand Prix

First practice at the circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya ahead of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix and it was Lando Norris with the fastest lap of the session clocking in at 1 minute 13 718 seconds. He's been quick here before he was on pole 12 months ago setting a new track lap record in the process something of a habit for the Briton in recent times. However he didn't convert his pole into a victory in 2024 that went to Max Verstappen who's won here four times including the last three on the bounce. The defending champion was three tenths back from Norris in P2 this time out. The two Ferraris were next. Lewis Hamilton took two goes at getting past the racing pool of Isaac Hadjar at one point finding no space at the approach to turn 12. He finally made the move on the next straight and in a neat reversal the other racing pool driver Liam Lawson fresh from success in Monaco last time out felt blocked by the other Ferrari driven by Charles Leclerc. Spanish fans have two home heroes to cheer on. Carlos Sainz who's never finished outside the points in 10 visits to Barcelona and of course two-time world champion Fernando Alonso who's won twice at the circuit most recently in 2013 when trialing four Ferraris. Sainz had a delayed start due to the engineers having to bleed his brakes while Alonso topped the timing tables on one of but later wasn't happy with how his Aston Martin was handling. All teams had tweaked their front wings for Barcelona in response to new technical regulations brought in by the FIA to address concerns about the amount of vertical deflection. A similar stipulation was brought in to govern the rear wings earlier this year. Beginning at the Chinese Grand Prix time will tell if these new specifications make a noticeable change to There's a proper newbie on track in first practice. Alex Alban gave up his seat in the FW47 in favour of current F2 and Williams Academy driver Victor Martins. He was making his Formula One weekend debut taking the second of the Grove team's mandated four F1 sessions which must be given over to rookie drivers. Haas also had a different driver running on Friday in the shape of 31 year old Japanese reserve Ryo Hirakawa making his second appearance for the American team. Having already had a run out for them in Bahrain and another go around at Suzuka when he was under the Alpine team's umbrella. He found himself going off at turn 10 on an early push lap. Yeah just started to lose the rear of the car though I think as he turned in and as you say just correcting it and then just keeping the car pointing straight into the gravel so he could drive through it and back out. After providing plenty of data for the team he finished the session P17. Kick Sauber have arrived in Barcelona with a new pixelated paint job which they've dubbed glitched out and the changes are not just on the surface. They may be rocking a new front wing like everyone else but the Swiss Italian team have also brought a new floor and some amended bodywork parts. No noticeable improvements so far but it's very early days for that. So Norris top from Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Lawson, Behrmann, Hajar, Tsunoda and Gasly. P11 for Russell then came Stroll, Alonso, Hülkenberg, Sainz, Bortoletto, Hirakawa, Antonelli, Martins and Colopinto.