What we learned from Friday practice at the Spanish Grand Prix
Formula 1 has tried to clampdown on flexi wings by introducing a technical directive for this weekend's Spanish GP, but as the opening practice sessions in Barcelona showed, the pecking order remains largely the same...
You could forgive George Russell for taking a step back and admiring his soft-tyre lap. Amid the customary FP2 hot laps set in preparation for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, his effort had been left relatively untouched by championship protagonists Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Russell had bustled over the line, clutching an impressive 1m13.046s in hand, while both Norris and Verstappen had just missed the Briton's benchmark having both set identical 1m13.070s on their gambits with the soft tyre. Just as Russell proverbially stood arms akimbo, satisfied with his work, Oscar Piastri stirred. The championship leader fired a 1m12.760s across the line, an early shot across the bows of anyone seeking to close in on the Australian's points lead. Of course, it's only FP2, but Piastri's almost-three-tenth gap to the next-fastest driver represented a significant advantage.
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