Oscar Piastri delivered a commanding performance in the final practice session for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, securing McLaren’s clean sweep of all three practice sessions in Barcelona.
The championship leader set a blistering 1m12.387s on soft tyres in the final 10 minutes, comfortably topping the timesheets in the searing midday heat.
Lando Norris secured second despite challenges, ensuring the team’s dominance heading into qualifying, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top three in the session.
Early Running and Mid-Session Shifts
The final dress rehearsal before this afternoon’s qualifying started sluggishly, with limited action as drivers preferred to remain in the shade of their garage amid the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s 30° C ambient temperatures.
Local hero Carlos Sainz briefly led for Williams, earning cheers from Spanish fans, before Leclerc took over with a 1m13.941s.
Mercedes’ George Russell then raised the bar, posting a 1m13.396s, four tenths clear of Leclerc. Max Verstappen responded for Red Bull, edging Russell by 0.021s with a 1m13.375s, excelling in the restored final sector’s fast right-handers, which suit the RB21.
Norris, however, struggled, aborting a lap after a moment at Turn 9’s high-speed corner, with his race engineer noting porpoising issues plaguing the McLaren.
Piastri’s Late Charge Seals the Session
As the session neared its close, Piastri unleashed his chart-topping lap, gapping Norris by half a second, who ran on used softs for a 1m12.913s.
Leclerc claimed third, 0.7s off Piastri, followed by Russell and Verstappen, who opted against late improvements.
Isack Hadjar impressed once again for Racing Bulls in sixth, ahead of Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who continued his upward trajectory in eighth.
Lewis Hamilton, grappling with gear shift issues, settled for ninth, 1.1s adrift, while Liam Lawson rounded out the top 10 for RB.
Williams’ Alex Albon managed only five laps due to an undiagnosed car issue, hampering his preparations. McLaren’s commanding performance sets the stage for a thrilling qualifying battle.
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