2025 F1 Spanish Grand Prix: Thrilling Free Practice 1 Results

Lando Norris set the fastest lap in the opening practice session for the 2025 F1 Spanish Grand Prix, clocking a time of 1:13.718. The McLaren driver finished three-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen, showing strong pace after his Monaco win.

Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari, completed the top three at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. The session got underway at 1:30 PM local time under sunny skies, with track temperatures ideal for early runs.

Victor Martins, a Formula 2 driver, made his Formula 1 debut by replacing Alex Albon at Williams for this session and finished 19th. Ryo Hirakawa stepped in for Esteban Ocon at Haas and placed 17th, having an off-track moment in the gravel but managing to avoid major trouble.

Most drivers used hard tyres at first, adapting to newly enforced flexi-wing rules introduced this weekend. These changes are designed to tighten regulations on car wings, though teams will need more data before the full effects are understood.

Norris went fastest early in the hour with his final time unchallenged as conditions stayed stable. Verstappen, running for Red Bull, pushed but trailed Norris by over three-tenths.

George Russell for Mercedes was one of the first to switch to medium tyres, briefly leading with a lap of 1:14.751 before others improved. Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari and Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren secured spots in the top five, each looking consistent through longer runs.

Incidents did disrupt some laps, including Hirakawa’s trip into the gravel and Liam Lawson’s frustration after being held up by a slow-moving Charles Leclerc. Fernando Alonso reported car issues that limited his session, keeping him out of the top places for Aston Martin.

Rookie Ollie Bearman continued his efforts with Haas, searching for his first Formula 1 points. Nico Hulkenberg, also with Haas, attempted some quicker laps on soft tyres later in the hour.

The session finished with Norris on top, Verstappen in second, and Hamilton closely behind. Teams will spend the hours leading up to the next session, scheduled for 5:00 PM local time, reviewing data and making setup changes to prepare for qualifying and the race.

The introduction of the new flexi-wing technical directive added another layer of complexity as drivers and engineers adjust to the evolving rules. As Friday’s action sets the stage, all teams are focused on extracting the best performance under the updated regulations.

With Norris carrying momentum, and rivals Verstappen and Hamilton not far off, the fight at the front looks to be close as preparations ramp up for the rest of the race weekend. Hamilton, who recently discussed his move to Ferrari, appears determined to challenge strongly in his new role.