Second Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Catalunya F1 GP

Event: Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix
Track: Catalunya Circuit

Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy driving the (12) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W17 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Barcelona-Catalunya at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 12, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images)

Weather: 28°C / 83°F Sunny & Dry
Tarmac: 44°C / 111°C Dry
Humidity : 34%
Wind : 11.1 km//h North
Pressure: 1009 mbar

Norris Pips Russell In Tight Barcelona FP2

Lando Norris gave McLaren a timely Friday boost at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, edging George Russell by just 0.009s in second practice as Formula 1’s Spanish grand prix weekend began to take shape under baking Catalan sunshine.

McLaren Closes In On Mercedes

Mercedes had looked in command earlier in the day, with Russell topping FP1 ahead of Oscar Piastri. But by FP2 the picture had tightened considerably, Norris producing a 1m15.426s to beat Russell by the slimmest of margins.

Piastri completed the top three, only 0.057s away from his team-mate, confirming McLaren’s suspicion that Barcelona’s long straights, low-grip sliding and high temperatures could bring the MCL into play.

For Mercedes, it was hardly a disaster. Russell remained rapid, and Juan Pablo Montoya summed up the visual impression neatly on F1 TV, saying the Mercedes looked “on rails”. But Friday no longer looked like a silver walkover.

Antonelli Playing Catch-Up

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who heads the standings by 66 points, had a slightly compromised start to the weekend after sitting out FP1 for Fred Vesti.

The Italian returned in FP2 but did not look fully settled, reporting a long brake pedal while running fifth and 0.589s adrift of Norris. That leaves him with work to do in FP3, particularly with Russell already looking comfortable around a circuit that tends to expose any weakness in balance or confidence.

Tyre Degradation Takes Centre Stage

The heat may yet become the real story of the Spanish Grand Prix. Track temperatures climbed close to 50°C, and the tyres were already beginning to complain during Friday’s long runs.

Lewis Hamilton asked whether everyone was suffering as much degradation as he was. The answer, effectively, was yes. The C4 soft appeared fragile over a single push lap, while the mediums also showed wear over race-style stints.

A two-stop race already looks likely, with a three-stop not out of the question if Sunday stays hot. Several teams have saved two sets of hard tyres, though Max Verstappen has already used one of his.

Ferrari Ahead Of Red Bull, But Not Close Enough

Ferrari appeared to sit third in the early competitive order, ahead of but not quite close enough to trouble Mercedes and McLaren on pure pace.

Hamilton had a scruffy moment across the grass and complained that something felt wrong with the rear of the car, with Ferrari pointing to the increasing wind. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, at least had a cleaner day after recent brake concerns, though the Scuderia still look short of the front two teams.

Red Bull appeared fourth-best on Friday, with Verstappen unable to make the kind of soft-tyre leap he would have wanted. Barcelona rarely flatters a weak package, and Friday suggested the reigning champion’s team may again be forced into damage limitation mode.

Reliability Still Biting

This remains an early phase of F1’s new regulatory era, and reliability continues to make itself felt.

Liam Lawson stopped near the pit exit after reporting that the engine had died, later suggesting a possible gearbox issue. Cadillac also lost time with Valtteri Bottas due to an ecu issue before eventually getting him out later in FP2.

Williams had a messy day too. Alex Albon missed FP1 and was unimpressed with the car after returning in FP2, ending up only 19th.

Midfield Fight Looks Busy

Behind the obvious front-runners, the midfield looks nicely congested. and Gabriel Bortoleto both placed inside the top ten in FP2, while Audi, Racing Bulls and Haas all showed enough pace to suggest Saturday could get rather crowded.

That is usually how Barcelona works: if the gaps are tight here, qualifying becomes a proper knife fight rather than a lottery.

Saturday Set Up Nicely

Friday belonged narrowly to Norris, but not decisively to McLaren. Mercedes still look strong, Piastri is right there, Antonelli has ground to recover, and Ferrari and Red Bull are trying to understand whether tyre life can drag them back into contention.

With FP3 still to come, Barcelona has done what it often does best: given the teams plenty of data, while refusing to give anyone a comfortable answer.

FP2 Times Table 2026 Catalunya GP

What were the quickest sector times during FP2?

The quickest sector times during this second practice session were:

• Sector 1: 21.917 sec by George Russell with the Mercedes W17.
• Sector 2: 30.459 sec by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-26.
• Sector 3: 22.849 sec by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL40.

Last year the quickest lap time of FP2 was a 1:12,760 min, driven by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL39.

✅ Check out our 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya F1 Grand Prix Preview.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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