Lando Norris pipped Max Verstappen to P1 in the Free Practice 1 session of the F1 2024 Spanish GP. The Brit posted a 1:14.228, with Vestappen 0.024s behind. Carlos Sainz finished in P3 in a quick run on the medium compound tyres.
Heading into the weekend, drivers will be faced with extreme tyre degradation around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. All but four teams are also running upgrades this weekend. Every team except McLaren, Mercedes, Alpine and Williams will be looking to test the effectiveness of their new upgrades. McLaren also ran a slightly different front wing on Norris’ car compared to Piastri’s in the first practice session of the Spanish GP weekend.
Formula 2 driver Oliver Bearman has a busy day today, having completed the F2 practice session this morning before jumping into the Haas of Hülkenberg. The 19-year-old is speculated to have signed with Haas for a seat next season. He’ll look to impress in the session and in his Formula 2 Qualifying session this afternoon.
As it Happened
The first set of laps out on track for the F1 drivers saw most drivers run the hard compound tyres. It was Mercedes’ George Russell who topped the times with a 1:15.868, followed by Max Verstappen almost four tenths behind. Ten minutes in, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz posted a top-three worthy time. It’s the Spaniard’s home race this weekend, and rumours are swirling around where he will be driving next year.
Just under twenty minutes in, the stragglers began to complete their first flying laps. McLaren’s Lando Norris posted a quick 1:15.967 for fourth, while his teammate Oscar Piastri set a 1:16.234 to sit in P2.
Over in the Red Bull camp, Sergio Perez was complaining of too much oversteer around the already tricky Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Mexican driver will be looking to have a better weekend than at the Canadian GP, where he crashed out and failed to finish the race.
“The Car is Horrendous”
It seems a few teams will be looking to make changes to their cars this weekend. Charles Leclerc was also unhappy with his car, telling his team “the car is horrendous”. Norris also found himself partially in the gravel following a gust of wind at the exit of Turn 12.
Russell was next to top the times at the halfway mark of the session with 1:14.753, before being beaten by Sainz with a 1:14.572. Perez slotted himself in the middle on a set of softs, before Verstappen regained P1 three tenths quicker than Sainz on a set of soft compound tyres – no match for the mediums of the Ferrari. The time to beat was now 1:14.252.
Oliver Bearman, having put on a set of soft compound tyres, shot up to P8 with a 1:15.865. With a few of the field following suit, Norris bettered the time set by Verstappen for P1, posting a 1:14.228.
Red Flag
The session was red flagged with 21 minutes left on the clock to pick up debris from the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. The drivers all returned to the pits, with drivers like Piastri aborting their preparation laps on the soft tyres.
The session resumed soon after, with a flurry of cars exiting the pits as the clock counted down. Less than 15 minutes remained now, and teams were scrambling to finish their run plans. There was a mix of old and new, soft and medium tyres on track. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll tried to cool his tyres around the hot Barcelona circuit, finding himself in the way of Charles Leclerc on a flying lap.
With six minutes remaining on the clock for the F1 Free Practice 1 session of the 2024 Spanish GP, Norris remained in P1, followed by Verstappen. Sainz remained in P3 having run the medium tyre. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was forced to box, stating that something was wrong with his car. The French outfit have had a tumultuous few seasons, and it will not be the start they wanted.
As drivers embarked on their final flying laps of the session, Verstappen told the team that the “engine keeps anti-stalling”. While he doesn’t seem completely comfortable in the car as of recent, the session seemed to run relatively smoothly for the Dutchman. However, he was unable to better the time set by Norris, who ended the session on a 1:14.228. Verstappen was hot on his heels 0.024s behind, followed by Carlos Sainz on the medium tyre. Russell ended the session in P4, followed by Perez.
Photo credit: McLaren F1 Team
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