McLaren’s Oscar Piastri led Friday practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, signaling a “tight battle” for pole position amidst the introduction of a new front wing flexibility rule.
The world championship leader was 0.286 seconds quicker than Mercedes’ George Russell in the second session. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren teammate Lando Norris were third and fourth, both setting identical lap times just behind Russell.
Piastri, 24, acknowledged an “up and down day” but felt good about their pace. Norris, fresh off his Monaco win, admitted to a less consistent day.
The new front wing rule, intended to limit aerodynamic flexibility, has sparked paddock debate. Russell offered a sarcastic “clearly slowed McLaren down a lot” in response, while Verstappen noted “not a lot” of impact.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fifth, but teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled, calling his car “undriveable” due to a downforce issue. Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli impressed in sixth.
With hot conditions in Spain, McLaren’s known strength in tyre management could be a factor in the race. While the new rule aimed to shake things up, McLaren appears to remain a strong contender.
