The second free practice session in Barcelona ended with Lewis Hamilton as fastest. The Mercedes driver finished just ahead of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, with Verstappen ending his Friday in fifth. It was a representative session, assuming that Saturday and Sunday will also be dry conditions. Whilst McLaren showed strong pace, there is still work to do in terms of set-up at Ferrari.
EXCELLENT SIGNALS FROM MERCEDES AND MCLAREN
Mercedes’ start to FP2 in Barcelona was very positive. Hamilton and Russell were quick from the beginning, building on their impressive pace from Canada. The 7-time Champion seemed comfortable in his W15, setting a lap several tenths faster than his teammate. This inter-team battle will be intriguing to observe this weekend. The race pace at Mercedes was also encouraging, considering their early-season issues in race trim.
Overall, though, McLaren appears in the best shape. Norris and Piastri were especially competitive in sector 2. The MCL38 thrives in this section of the track, with the car’s good handling reflected in the timing sheets.
FERRARI STUDIES THE NEW UPGRADES, LECLERC REVOLUTIONIZES THE SETUP DURING THE SESSION
At Ferrari, both drivers tested the SF-24’s new upgrades. In FP1, Sainz with the entire set of improvements – whilst Leclerc ran without the new floor specification. Ferrari made this decision to allow for comparison. In qualifying simulations, Ferrari started the lap strongly – but progressively lost grip in the final two sectors. The Scuderia must make adjustments to avoid taking too much life out of their tyres.
Keeping some tyre life for the final sector will be essential on Saturday. Overall, Sainz was more comfortable than Leclerc in his Ferrari, as indicated by the timings. The Spanish driver set a time just 22 thousandths slower than Lewis Hamilton’s fastest time.
The Monegasque driver’s difficulties can largely be attributed to incorrect setup. Leclerc spent plenty of time in the garage making changed s to correct this. Race pace is still somewhat difficult to decipher for Ferrari with their new updates. However, there are no major concerns at the Scuderia. Provided they can take a step forward tomorrow, they will be in the mix.
Max Verstappen doesn’t seem to have a problem with tyre life, as evidenced by his race simulations. However, he was unhappy with the grip available to him on low-fuel running. It should also be noted that the Dutch driver, on the development front, preferred to run Red Bull’s old front wing – rather than the new one.
Verstappen was slightly off the pace in qualifying simulations, though still certainly in the mix. The Dutchman’s race pace was more encouraging, setting consistently strong laps in his RB20.
In FP2 in Barcelona, Pierre Gasly’s excellent 4th place is worth mentioning. The A524 performed at a very high level in the first sessions in Spain. With teammate Esteban Ocon in 9th, Alpine can be satisfied with their progress so far. Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top ten.
Aston Martin, however, is struggling massively. Alonso and Stroll could only manage 14th and 18th respectively.
