Lando Norris carried his winning form from Monte Carlo straight into Barcelona as the McLaren driver topped the timesheets in the opening practice session of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. Under clear skies and soaring track temperatures, Norris laid down a 1:13.718 to lead the pack, continuing the momentum that reignited the title race just a week ago. His pace-setting lap kept Max Verstappen at bay by over three-tenths, with Lewis Hamilton slotting into third in a promising start for Ferrari.
What To Know
- Norris on a Roll: Lando Norris topped the session with a 1:13.718, continuing his post-Monaco momentum and leading Verstappen and Hamilton.
- New Tech Directive in Play: The revised front wing load regulations debuted this weekend, prompting busy early running and varied tyre strategies.
- Rookies and Debuts: F2’s Victor Martins made his F1 weekend debut for Williams, while Bearman, Hadjar, and Lawson all featured inside the top 10.
The session began at 13:30 local time in classic Catalan sunshine, kicking off Round 9 of the 2025 F1 World Championship at a venue that’s as much a proving ground as a racetrack. Among the early headlines was the appearance of Formula 2 standout Victor Martins, who made his official F1 weekend debut by stepping into Alex Albon’s Williams. Martins wasn’t the only stand-in, with Ryo Hirakawa getting more mileage in the Haas, albeit with a brief detour through the gravel.
Formula One History Recommends
New rules, familiar pressure – and a shakeup at the sharp end
With a new Technical Directive on front wing load tests coming into play this weekend, teams wasted no time logging data — most opening their run plans on the hard C1 compound as Pirelli brought the toughest trio in its range to Barcelona. The early pace belonged to Norris, who was quick out of the blocks with a benchmark time of 1:15.259. That was enough to keep him ahead of Fernando Alonso, whose 2013 victory here remained his most recent in F1 — and who later reported gremlins in his AMR25, asking engineers to “check what is going on with the car.”
As the session wore on, tyre strategy began to diversify. George Russell was among the first to make the switch to the medium C2s, briefly taking top spot with a 1:14.751. Nico Hülkenberg led onto softs, triggering a flurry of late improvements. Verstappen’s effort on the C3s looked strong, but it was Norris — once again — who responded with authority, knocking the Red Bull down the order with his session-best time.
Behind the leading trio, Charles Leclerc placed fourth for Ferrari, just ahead of McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri in fifth. The Racing Bulls impressed with both Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar inside the top eight, split by Haas rookie Ollie Bearman, who was still hunting his first points finish since Bahrain. Yuki Tsunoda (P9) and Pierre Gasly (P10) rounded out the top 10.
Outside the top 10, Russell was 11th ahead of Lance Stroll, Alonso, Hülkenberg, and Carlos Sainz in P15 on home soil. Gabriel Bortoleto showed solid pace for Kick Sauber in 16th, followed by Hirakawa, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, debutant Martins, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
2025 Spanish GP FP1 Results
2025 Spanish Grand Prix FP1, 30 May 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:13.718 | 28 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:14.085 | +0.367s | 17 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:14.096 | +0.378s | 28 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:14.238 | +0.520s | 30 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:14.294 | +0.576s | 27 |
| 6 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:14.339 | +0.621s | 27 |
| 7 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:14.597 | +0.879s | 25 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:14.605 | +0.887s | 25 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:14.643 | +0.925s | 26 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:14.746 | +1.028s | 27 |
| 11 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:14.751 | +1.033s | 31 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:14.786 | +1.068s | 23 |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:14.798 | +1.080s | 20 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:14.865 | +1.147s | 20 |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:14.935 | +1.217s | 25 |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:15.155 | +1.437s | 22 |
| 17 | 50 | Ryo Hirakawa | Haas Ferrari | 1:15.298 | +1.580s | 22 |
| 18 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:15.369 | +1.651s | 30 |
| 19 | 45 | Victor Martins | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.522 | +1.804s | 26 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:15.530 | +1.812s | 19 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 30 May 2025 – 1 June, 2025
Race date: Sunday, 1 June, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Laps: 66
Circuit length: 4.675km
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
Seen in:
