Oscar Piastri delivered a commanding performance in the second practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix, setting the fastest time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and adding pressure on teammate Lando Norris. This strong showing took place on Friday, intensifying the battle between the two McLaren drivers who are separated by just three points in the championship standings.
Piastri topped the FP2 timesheets with a lap nearly 0.3 seconds faster than the next competitor, while Norris found himself in fourth place, trailing his teammate by a significant margin. Nico Rosberg commented that Piastri’s performance is likely to affect Norris’s mindset ahead of qualifying on Saturday.
Yes but don’t underestimate the setback today with Piastri dominating like this in FP2 and putting in such a strong lap,
Rosberg said.
That will play on his mind for the rest of the day because now he will be there studying the data and he will see how Oscar was so quick there, so quick there. That’s not an easy day for him.
Let’s hope it doesn’t stop his momentum which has been on the rise so much.
Norris Seeks Small Improvements to Regain Edge Before Qualifying
Although Norris struggled to keep pace with Piastri in the second session, he topped the timing charts in FP1, showing he still has strong potential to challenge. Norris explained that McLaren’s car setup provided a solid foundation in the first session, which gave the team room to experiment with different configurations during the day.
A decent Friday. The car was better in FP1 than it was in FP2, but we were trying things out. We’ll keep trying to improve for tomorrow,
Norris said.
It’s tiny things. I think something that we always do very good is a good baseline and find it difficult to improve from that point onwards which is a good thing, not a bad thing. It allows us to try a different direction, different things and try and get a bit of a feel.
Piastri Acknowledges Strong Rivalry from Red Bull and Others
Heading into the weekend, many expected Red Bull to be competitive, especially since the RB21 excels in high-speed corners. Piastri reflected on Friday’s events by highlighting the level of competition and the ongoing development challenges.
“I mean it’s been a bit of an up and down day. Ending on an up which is good. Our competitors look quick. Verstappen’s been quick all day. Ferrari have been there. Mercedes popped up at the end,”
Piastri said, emphasizing the tight contest expected on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a tight battle tomorrow I think. Definitely still some things to try and work on.”
We expected Red Bull to be quick. That’s not a big surprise. Just trying to make the car a bit faster really that’s all. We’ve tried a few things today. We’re learning. It’s been a good day.
Impact of Friday’s Results on Championship Battle
The close championship between Piastri and Norris is intensified by Friday’s sessions at Barcelona, where Piastri’s pace indicates his determination to extend his lead. Norris faces a critical challenge as he prepares for qualifying, needing to close the gap to his teammate to maintain momentum in the title fight. Meanwhile, strong performances from Max Verstappen, Ferrari, and Mercedes suggest a fiercely competitive race ahead.
With so little separating the frontrunners, the strategic decisions and incremental gains made during Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race at the Spanish Grand Prix are likely to have a significant impact on the shape of the championship moving forward.