Practice Session Lead in Barcelona: Norris Outshines Competition; Verstappen and Hamilton Follow, Anticipating Sunday's Race
In the opening practice session for the 2025 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Lando Norris from McLaren took the lead, leaving his opponents in the dust. He clocked a blazing fast lap of 1:13.718, outpacing Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by nearly four tenths of a second.
The session began with Williams tester Victor Martin hitting the track in Alex Albon's FW47. However, it was home favorite Fernando Alonso who initially set the pace. But it wasn't long before Norris took the helm with a quick lap of 1:15.259s, securing a 0.221s advantage over Alonso.
As the session progressed, times began to plummet. George Russell dropped the benchmark to 1:14.751, only to be bettered by Nico Hulkenberg and Charles Leclerc. Leclerc then held the top spot, but Verstappen and Norris swapped positions to extend their lead, with Norris finishing the session with a time of 1:13.718s - a robust 0.367s ahead of Verstappen. Hamilton ended the session only 0.011s behind the Dutch racer.
Leclerc secured fourth place, followed closely by championship leader Oscar Piastri who trailed Norris by 0.576s. Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman locked horns for the sixth spot, with Lawson edging it out by a margin of 0.142 seconds. Isack Hadjar found himself in eighth place, just under three tenths of a second behind his teammate, Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda. Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
Haas' Ryo Hirakawa ended the session in 17th place, while Martin took the 19th spot ahead of Alpine's Franco Colapinto.
Here's a quick rundown of the top drivers:
| Driver | Team | Time ||--------|-------|-----------|| Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:13.718 || Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:14.085 (0.367 seconds behind Norris) || Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | N/A (exact time not specified) || Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | N/A (exact time not specified) || Oscar Piastri | McLaren | N/A (exact time not specified) |
During the 2025 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix practice session, Lando Norris from McLaren held the lead, leaving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton behind. The session included various drivers showcasing their skills in sports, such as George Russell, Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri.
