Lando Norris Tops Tight FP2 Battle as McLaren Leads the Way at 2026 Spanish Grand Prix

Barcelona, Spain, June 12, 2026: Defending Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris edged out Mercedes rival George Russell by just 0.009 seconds to finish fastest in a highly competitive second practice session for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri completed the top three, with the leading trio separated by only 0.057 seconds.

Norris, who sat out the opening practice session as McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli made his Formula 1 practice debut, delivered a best lap of 1:15.426 on Soft tyres to claim the top spot. Despite wrestling with a nervous McLaren MCL40 through parts of the lap, the Briton produced enough pace to narrowly beat Russell’s Mercedes.

Piastri had set the early benchmark in FP2, becoming the first driver to break into the 1m15s bracket with a 1:15.724 on Medium tyres before the qualifying simulation runs began. Russell, who topped FP1 earlier in the day, improved significantly on Soft tyres to finish just nine-thousandths of a second behind Norris.

The session was briefly interrupted by a Virtual Safety Car after Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls machine stopped at the pit exit. The New Zealander reported a loss of power before suggesting a gearbox issue. Although the car was recovered quickly, Lawson completed only eight laps during the session.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth, 0.373 seconds off the pace, as the Scuderia continued evaluating a package of updates, including a revised front wing. Team-mate Lewis Hamilton endured a more difficult session, reporting heavy tyre degradation and a dragging sensation on the straights before ending ninth.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli placed fifth for Mercedes after missing FP1, while reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen finished sixth for Red Bull. Verstappen showed promising pace on Hard tyres but later complained about a lack of grip on a second set of the same compound.

One of the standout performances came from Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, who secured seventh place ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Hamilton. Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.

Further down the order, Nico Hülkenberg and Oliver Bearman occupied 11th and 12th respectively, ahead of Lawson. Carlos Sainz, racing in front of his home fans, finished 14th for Williams, while Alpine drivers Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were 15th and 16th.

Haas driver Esteban Ocon ended the session 17th, with Cadillac duo Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez struggling for pace. Aston Martin also endured a difficult outing, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the field in 21st and 22nd positions.

With tyre degradation expected to play a major role over the weekend, teams focused heavily on long-run simulations during the latter stages of FP2 as preparations continued for qualifying and Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

2026 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 Results