live
Updated 8h ago
Pole might be up for grabs this weekend in Barcelona.
Patrick Iversen, Alex Davies and more
Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona. (Getty Images)
What we learned from FP2 in Barcelona
Getty Images
Well, that was interesting.
That's two race weekends in a row that Mercedes look competitive, with Lewis Hamilton topping the session ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and McLaren's Lando Norris. It feels like they have a real shot at two consecutive weekends on pole – but we have seen them go backward from Friday to Saturday this season, so we'll see.
Elsewhere, Red Bull needs to figure out some issues with its power unit and new upgrades. Don't be surprised if Verstappen returns to form tomorrow—that team excels at Friday homework.
But for now, the grid feels a bit wide open thanks to those differing contenders, and Alpine, Sauber, and Haas are looking quick today. FP3 should provide more clarity before qualifying.
How to watch FP3
Time: 6:30 a.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. BST
TV: ESPN+ / F1 TV / Sky Sports (Europe)
Related reading
Spanish GP track breakdown: The Barcelona circuit that gobbles F1 tires
Has Red Bull lost its F1 advantage? The following 5 races will tell
The joys, challenges, and priorities of F1 fatherhood: ‘A fantastic life’
Brad Pitt’s F1 movie co-produced by Lewis Hamilton to be released in June 2025
Elsewhere, in F2 and F3
F1 Academy isn't the only support series in Barcelona this weekend. F2 and F3 also completed qualifying sessions on Friday.
The F2 quali session was somehow even closer than F1 Academy's, with Hitech's Paul Aron nabbing pole just ahead of DAMS's Jak Crawford (0.002s back) and MP Motorsport's Franco Colapinto (0.006s back).
ART Grand Prix driver Christian Mansell took the F3 pole with a last-lap effort ahead of Prema's Arvid Lindblad. It's Mansell's first F3 pole position.
The F2 sprint race is on Saturday at 8:15 a.m. ET, followed by the feature race at 5:35 a.m. ET on Sunday. F3's sprint race runs at 4:40 a.m. ET, followed by the feature race at 4:05 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Advertisem*nt
Abbi Pulling is back on pole for F1 Academy
Getty Images
Pulling, who leads the F1 Academy standings, barely beat Chloe Chambers for pole position in both series races (the margins were 0.059s and 0.076s).
It's been a terrific year for Pulling, who has won three out of the first four F1 Academy races in 2024. For more on the Alpine Academy driver, read our profile on Pulling below.
FP2 classification
Lots of qualifying sims on the board here. We could be in for an interesting Saturday.
Final minutes now
Everyone is on the track right now running high fuel loads and soft tires, though Sainz just came in for mediums. Nobody has been able to beat Lewis Hamilton to the top of the charts for about 15 minutes now—a good sign for Mercedes' pace.
Uh, Red Bull?
Getty Images
Pérez does not look fast after that long spell in the garage with the engine panel off. Alex Brundle reports on F1 TV that it could be an engine issue, though that's unconfirmed. The team had power unit problems in Canada two weeks ago, and Verstappen has taken his final allotted power unit of the season this weekend. Curious.
Some architectural appreciation
Getty Images
I do love these grandstands. That's it, that's the post.
Advertisem*nt
Pérez is out now as long runs begin
By the way, Pierre Gasly's pace is good so far. He's in P4 and two-tenths slower than Lewis Hamilton on softs.
Problems for Pérez?
Getty Images
He's last on the charts and almost two seconds slower than Verstappen (though Verstappen has run on softs and his teammate hasn't). Engineers surround his car, and the engine cover is off in the garage. Not a great session for Pérez, who is looking for a bounce back to good form after two disappointing races.
Zhou wants names
Getty Images
Zhou got blocked on the exit of Turn 14 by a mysterious RB driver and immediately got to the bottom of it.
"Fully blocked me, man, what the f–––! Can you tell me who was the driver, (RB)?"
"It was Tsunoda," his engineer said.
"Not surprised."
Sainz leaps to the top on softs
Getty Images
Soft tire simulations are underway, followed by race pace, long run simulations. FP2 sessions tend to all look a little similar!
Conditions expected to change through the weekend
Getty Images
The track temperature has fallen from earlier this morning to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). It should continue to fall as the skies get cloudy on Saturday and Sunday, with a chance of rain increasing into Sunday morning.
That's a big caveat to the timings you'll see today. As the weather changes, so will the performance of many of the cars.
Advertisem*nt
Busy week for upgrades, busy session for set-ups
Getty Images
You'll see a lot of cars dipping in and out of the garage this session and a few cars running interesting bits, like no cooling ducts on the engine panels. Sauber, Aston Martin, and Red Bull all brought upgrades this weekend, while Mercedes and McLaren are still testing out the upgrades they've brought in recent weeks. Every team is using today to gather as much data as possible on this track, which is ideal for testing with its varied corners.
"This car doesn't bite"
Getty Images
That's Max Verstappen reporting into Red Bull on his car, which is suffering from understeer and a lack of grip today.
Busy track – and a scary moment for Sargeant
Getty Images
Logan Sargeant almost lost the rear of the car and put the car into the gravel. It's already a packed track, with most drivers out on a mix of hards and mediums.
Tires available this weekend
Pirelli has brought its hardest compounds to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
FP2 underway!
Cars back out on track for this one-hour session.
Advertisem*nt
Stewards reprimand Aston Martin for Stroll absence
Getty Images
Lance Stroll and Aston Martin were summoned by the stewards to explain the driver's absence from the Friday fan engagement activity at the Spanish GP. According to both the driver and team, Stroll was "having an appointment with his doctor due to some health issues arising this morning."
"Whilst the Stewards have sympathy for the driver seeking immediate medical attention in case of any health issues, they also note that the due process in such a case is to contact the Chief Medical Officer and/or the Medical Delegate and to ask for a medical exemption for not attending the fan activity as prescribed in Article 19.2c of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations."
The stewards issued a reprimand.
15 minutes until FP2
FP1 indicated things will stay tight at the top of the grid, but also left us with a bunch of questions. We should get a few answers over the next hour.
News from the nursery
Magnussen with his daughter in Bahrain. (Kym Illman/Getty Images)
In case you missed it last week, Madeline wrote a terrific story about Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenbergs' experiences as fathers to young children. It's a look at how things happening off-track have changed how they think about their places on the grid, and a great way to spend your time before FP2 gets going at the top of the hour.
Standout quote from Magnussen:
“It changed a lot of my priorities, like my perspective on life and my career and sport, and made everything else seem less important,” Magnussen said. “There’s always pressure on the drivers and also a bit of an anxiety where you think, ‘If I can’t be racing, then what am I? What do I do with my life?’
“Whereas now, that side of it is all settled in a way. I know if I’m not racing, then I have a fantastic life anyway.”
Load more updates
