The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix weekend is shaping up into a fascinating contest after a highly eventful second practice session at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri delivered a commanding lap of 1:12.760 to top the FP2 timesheets, further cementing McLaren’s strong mid-season form. Piastri’s pace gave him nearly three-tenths over George Russell, while Max Verstappen and Lando Norris clocked identical times just behind.
FP2 Top 10 Classification:
- Oscar Piastri
- George Russell
- Max Verstappen
- Lando Norris (tied with max)
- Charles Leclerc
- Kimi Antonelli
- Fernando Alonso
- Pierre Gasly
- Isack Hadjar
- Liam Lawson
Further back, Lewis Hamilton ended 11th as Ferrari continues to chase consistent pace across both cars, while Haas rookie Oliver Bearman was 19th after a tricky session.
Tension, Spins, and Gamesmanship Light Up FP2
The second practice wasn’t short on incident. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman provided one of the early moments when he spun into the gravel at Turn 3. Fortunately for Bearman, he kept the car running and escaped without damage, though the moment forced Haas to cut his session short for precautionary checks.
Later, a clash of the veterans unfolded when Lewis Hamilton overtook Fernando Alonso at the second-to-last corner, interrupting Alonso’s flying lap attempt. Alonso, who rarely misses an opportunity for a sharp comment, reacted over team radio with a sarcastic quip labeling Hamilton “the hero of the day,” while reminding that both the weekend and the championship still had a long way to go, a subtle nod to their longstanding rivalry.
Verstappen and Leclerc also provided a fascinating on-track cat-and-mouse during long-run simulations. Verstappen was steadily catching the Ferrari lap after lap and made a move to open DRS for an overtake. In response, Leclerc activated his own DRS to defend his track position, despite both being on separate run plans. Verstappen’s radio captured his amusement: “Ha ha ha… oh man,” while his engineer GP summed it up bluntly: “Not very clever.”
Rookie Standouts Continue to Shine
Red Bull’s junior driver Isack Hadjar once again impressed by finishing inside the top ten. Hadjar’s consistency throughout the season has become a growing storyline in the paddock. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner offered high praise during Friday’s press briefings, calling Hadjar “the most outstanding rookie” of the season so far, highlighting his speed, consistency, and ability to deliver beyond expectations. Should Hadjar maintain this trajectory, his future inside the Red Bull system appears extremely promising.
Ferrari’s Mixed Fortunes
While Charles Leclerc slotted into a solid P5 showing decent short-run pace, Ferrari continues to wrestle with inconsistency between cars. Lewis Hamilton once again struggled with the SF-25’s behavior, describing it as “not driveable” over team radio. Ferrari appears to still be chasing setup solutions as Hamilton adjusts to the car’s characteristics during his first season with the team.
Flexi-Wing Clampdown: Much Ado About Nothing, For Now
One of the major technical storylines heading into Barcelona was the FIA’s new front wing flex tests, which were expected to potentially impact teams suspected of taking aerodynamic liberties. However, after Friday running, early data suggests that the clampdown has not significantly shuffled the competitive order.
Both Gary Anderson (writing for The Race) and Auto Motor und Sport noted that the so-called “flexi-wing quake” failed to materialize. The field remained tightly bunched, and none of the front-runners appeared destabilized by the technical adjustments. Whether this remains true once cars run fully optimized qualifying setups will be closely watched on Saturday.
The Stage is Set for a Fierce Qualifying
If FP2 is any indication, Saturday’s qualifying could be one of the most open sessions of the year. McLaren’s outright pace puts them firmly in the hunt, but Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari are all close enough that pole position remains completely up for grabs. With the updated technical regulations having minimal immediate impact and multiple teams bringing strong long-run pace, the weekend promises an unpredictable battle not only for qualifying but also for race day strategy.