World Cup leader Leclerc went around in 1,19,670. Remarkably, the second and third times were for Mercedes, respectively for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Like Ferrari, Mercedes has brought a hefty package of updates to Barcelona, particularly to resolve the bounce that has plagued the team. Friday was therefore hopeful for the constructors’ champion of the last eight years. Red Bull, on the other hand, has mainly focused on weight loss (about five kilos).
Just behind Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz, Verstappen came in fifth, at more than three tenths of Leclerc’s fastest lap time. Like the other drivers, the reigning world champion focused on the long runs on the warm Circuit de Catalunya, in view of Sunday’s race.
“It is not easy to find the right balance, also given the heat,” said Verstappen. “The long runs They looked good, so I’m happy with that. But we still have some work to do in one round. We have to find a bit of a middle ground.”
Fernando Alonso scored the sixth fastest time in front of his own audience. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez stayed in seventh place just within a second of Leclerc. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) barely got into action during the second session due to a technical problem. The same was true for McLaren driver Lando Norris.