Mark Webber led the pack in first practice for the Spanish GP, heading his team-mate by over a second making him the only driver to dip into the 1:25’s.
The times were much closer behind Webber, with places 2nd to ninth covered by under a second.
Nico Rosberg confirmed Mercedes progress by slotting in third with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso behind, though practice times are, as always, a poor indicator of true pace.
There were no major mishaps during the session. The worst came from Pastor Maldonado at turn eight. The Williams driver simply lost the rear end, the FW33’s final resting place was the gravel trap just metres from the barrier.
Spanish GP Free Practice 1 Results:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | M. Webber | Red Bull | 1:25.142 | 27 | |
| 02. | S. Vettel | Red Bull | 1:26.149 | +1.007 | 20 |
| 03. | N. Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:26.379 | +1.237 | 29 |
| 04. | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:26.480 | +1.338 | 27 |
| 05. | S. Perez | Sauber | 1:26.738 | +1.596 | 26 |
| 06. | L. Hamilton | McLaren | 1:26.988 | +1.846 | 19 |
| 07. | M. Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:27.016 | +1.874 | 32 |
| 08. | N. Heidfeld | Renault | 1:27.132 | +1.990 | 21 |
| 09. | J. Button | McLaren | 1:27.138 | +1.996 | 22 |
| 10. | R. Barrichello | Williams | 1:27.212 | +2.070 | 20 |
| 11. | V. Petrov | Renault | 1:27.241 | +2.099 | 22 |
| 12. | D. Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 1:27.471 | +2.329 | 23 |
| 13. | P. Maldonado | Williams | 1.28.005 | +2.863 | 11 |
| 14. | N. Hulkenberg | Force India | 1:28.027 | +2.885 | 26 |
| 15. | A. Sutil | Force India | 1:28.163 | +3.021 | 22 |
| 16. | F. Massa | Ferrari | 1:28.654 | +3.512 | 28 |
| 17. | K. Kobayashi | Sauber | 1:28.819 | +3.677 | 23 |
| 18. | J. Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | 1:28.995 | +3.853 | 9 |
| 19. | H. Kovalainen | Team Lotus | 1:29.231 | +4.089 | 21 |
| 20. | J. d’Ambrosio | Virgin | 1.30.896 | +5.754 | 18 |
| 21. | T. Glock | Virgin | 1:31.235 | +6.093 | 24 |
| 22. | V. Liuzzi | Hispania | 1:31.268 | +6.126 | 13 |
| 23. | J. Trulli | Team Lotus | 1:31.418 | +6.276 | 23 |
| 24. | N. Karthikeyan | Hispania | 1:32.106 | +6.964 | 25 |
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