Oscar Piastri emerged as the top contender in the run-up to the Spanish GP qualification. During the third and final free practice, he clocked the fastest time, closely followed by teammate Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen had to concede a lot of time to the papayas – he finished in P5. The practice rounds again went without major issues.
At the start of the third free practice, the teams are not exactly eager to brave the relatively hot asphalt. However, both Aston Martin drivers venture directly onto the circuit. The appearance of home hero Fernando Alonso is, of course, accompanied by loud cheering from the crowd. Their performance, however, is short-lived. After ten minutes, only rookies Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto remain. They explore the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at a suitable speed.
With three-quarters of an hour left on the clock, the top teams also come out. McLaren, Ferrari, and Williams vie for the fastest time, although the latter team is the only one on the soft compound. Shortly after, George Russell, also a good contender in Barcelona, ups the ante. On the red shoes, he dives half a second under – so far – the fastest time of Lando Norris. The first fast laps of Max Verstappen do not turn out as he had hoped. He complains about a lack of grip on the medium tires and records, for what it’s worth, the sixth time.
Not long after, this lackluster session is shaken up as the teams begin their qualifying simulations. George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli continue to dominate until Verstappen finally takes to the track on red tires. In the final quarter, he secures the fastest time. Norris thought he could outdo him on the mediums, but ended up off the track, necessitating a pit stop. On the soft compound, Piastri and Norris flex their muscles one last time. The Australian takes a substantial lead in P1, with the Englishman trailing by half a second. Verstappen has fallen back to P5.
