Lando Norris fastest in Barcelona-Catalunya FP2 as George Russell splits the McLaren drivers

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Lando Norris topped the timings in FP2 for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix ahead of George Russell and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

Russell laid down an early marker in Barcelona by topping the timesheets in FP1, while Mercedes team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli was forced to watch from the garage as the Silver Arrows completed one of their mandatory rookie driver sessions.

Most of the field headed out on medium tyres at the start of FP2, with Max Verstappen the only driver opting for the hard compound as Red Bull looked to better understand the balance issues that hampered his earlier running. The Dutchman spent much of FP1 complaining of both understeer and oversteer as he searched for confidence in the RB22.

READ MORE: George Russell fastest in Barcelona-Catalunya FP1 ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc

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Barcelona and Spa will alternate each year through 2032

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Alex Albon was also back on track after Williams’ difficult start to the weekend. Technical problems had prevented rookie Luke Browning from taking part in FP1, forcing the team into a busy turnaround between sessions. Williams fitted a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger and power unit ancillary component to Albon’s car ahead of FP2.

Stronger winds added another challenge for the drivers during FP2, with several struggling to stay within the track limits as conditions caught them out around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Turn 8 remained a particular trouble spot, with a number of drivers running wide at the fast right-hander after it had already caused problems throughout the opening practice session.

Liam Lawson brought out an early Virtual Safety Car after his Racing Bulls ground to a halt moments after leaving the pit lane. “The engine has died,” the Kiwi reported over team radio as marshals swiftly moved in to recover the stricken car, limiting the disruption to the session.

Verstappen was the first driver to switch to soft tyres as the qualifying simulations got underway, but the Red Bull driver was unable to make the most of the extra grip.

Despite the compound advantage, the four-time world champion could only climb to third on the timesheets, ending up six tenths adrift of pace-setter Oscar Piastri and behind rivals still running on medium tyres.

Williams’ difficult day showed little sign of improving at the halfway mark, with Alex Albon asking to return to the pits and “regroup” after struggling for confidence in the car.

The Thai-British driver told his engineers he had never driven a car that felt so “disconnected”, a concerning assessment for the Grove-based team after making a raft of setup and power unit changes between the two practice sessions.

The opening qualifying simulations saw Lando Norris set the pace for McLaren, with Russell separating the two papaya cars in second. Charles Leclerc and Antonelli completed the top five as the frontrunners began to reveal their one-lap pace ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session.

Lewis Hamilton also voiced concerns late in the session, telling Ferrari that “something is wrong with the rear of the car” as he struggled for confidence behind the wheel.

His race engineer suggested the issue could be linked to the strengthening winds that had caught out several drivers throughout FP2. However, speaking on F1 TV (12/06/2026 – 4:40pm), Juan Pablo Montoya backed Hamilton’s assessment, arguing that the seven-time world champion’s concerns appeared to stem from the car itself rather than the changing conditions.

As the session transitioned into race simulation runs, the tricky conditions became even more apparent. With fuel loads increasing, drivers began to struggle for grip and balance, with several cars sliding wide on corner exits as they fought to keep their tyres under control.

Isack Hadjar and Sergio Perez were involved in a late scare after the Cadillac driver appeared unaware of the faster Red Bull approaching on a flying lap.

“Why did Perez do that? I nearly crashed into him. Did he not see me or something?” Hadjar fumed over the team radio, with the pair fortunate to avoid contact as Perez swept past.

Antonelli endured a frustrating start to his weekend, finishing outside the top three in his first session of running after reporting issues with his brake pedal. The Mercedes youngster had already been forced to sit out FP1, with reserve driver Frederik Vesti taking over his car for the team’s mandatory rookie outing.

Tyre degradation also emerged as a major talking point during FP2. The medium compound suffered significant wear around the demanding Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, leaving teams with plenty to analyse ahead of Sunday. The high degradation rates have already sparked questions over strategy, with a two-stop appearing likely and the possibility of an interesting three-stop race potentially coming into play.