Oscar Piastri ensured McLaren topped all three free practice sessions for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The Australian’s 1:12.387s was enough to ensure first place, with team-mate Lando Norris a distant half-a-second behind, the Brit having to keep his car in check after going wide due to a snap at Turn 13 early in the hour.
Norris was fastest initially but after a run on the Softs, Piastri set a blistering lap in the blistering Catalan sunshine to ensure top spot.
Charles Leclerc was third with a 1:13.130s, a hundredth of a second ahead of George Russell, the Mercedes looking fast over one lap.
Max Verstappen was fifth, almost a second off Piastri’s time, with Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls sixth, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes seventh.
Home favourite Fernando Alonso was eighth, with Lewis Hamilton ninth, over a second off the top.
Liam Lawson in the second Racing Bulls completed the top 10, with the Saubers of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg looking faster in 11th and 12th.
The second home hero Carlos Sainz was 13th, with Yuki Tsunoda struggling down in 14th in his Red Bull.
Lance Stroll was a half-a-second off team-mate Alonso’s time down in 15th, with the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto 16th and 17th respectively.
The Haas pair of Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman struggled down in 18th and 20th, sandwiching the second Williams of Alex Albon.
With McLaren coming out of all three practice hours in first place, the Woking-based squad must surely feel confident of grabbing pole position ahead of the race.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Spanish Grand Prix – FP3 Results
