Max in P3 after first day in Spain: 'An okay Friday'

Published on 30 May 2025 by Misha van der Kroon

After finishing second in the first free practice session in Barcelona, Max Verstappen set the third-fastest time in his Red Bull in the second session in Barcelona. Oscar Piastri clocked the fastest time in his McLaren, followed by George Russell in the Mercedes in P2. At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the McLaren of Lando Norris and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc completed the top five. Max's teammate at Oracle Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, set the 13th-fastest time.

"It was an okay Friday," Max said after the second practice session. "I'm a bit happier with the car. It’s still not where we want to be. It was very hot, especially for the tyres. Every track is different, but the feeling in the car is better here."

When the lights at the end of the pit lane go green, it's Charles Leclerc who is first out on track. Esteban Ocon, Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, and Oliver Bearman also head out early. Compared to the first free practice, it’s slightly warmer, with an air temperature of 31°C and track temperature of 48°C. Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon have their cars back, after having to sit out FP1 as rookies Ryo Hirakawa and Victor Martins took place behind the wheel.

Max is the last to take to the track, about four minutes into the session. The track is already busy early on. Max, like most of the field, is on a set of medium tyres. Only Franco Colapinto and Lance Stroll are running on the hard compound. Max’s first flying lap puts him in P2 behind Norris’s McLaren and ahead of Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Ten minutes in, we see Oliver Bearman perform a full 360-degree spin in Turn 3. The young Brit ploughs through the gravel but manages to keep his Haas out of the wall and continues on his way to the pits. Max's Red Bull is already in the garage by then.

After about twenty minutes, most of the field is back in the pits, with only the two Ferraris, Ocon, and Liam Lawson still out on track. The teams begin preparing for qualifying simulations, and we start to see the first drivers heading back out on soft tyres.

The first to clock times on the softs are both Mercedes drivers, who take P1 and P2. Shortly after, Max jumps to P2, just 0.024 seconds behind George Russell. Norris sets the exact same time and takes third place. Piastri then sets the benchmark halfway through the session, pulling three tenths clear and taking P1 from Russell. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton complains over team radio that his car is “undriveable.” He’s currently in eleventh.

With just over 27 minutes remaining, Max heads back out for a long run on medium tyres. Bearmanis also back on track after his earlier spin, and is one of the last to start a flying lap on soft tyres. Most of the field is now engaged in long runs.

No fast lap times are set in the closing stages, and the performance gap between the two McLarens and Max’s RB21 appears to be small. That brings the first day in Barcelona to a close.

Contest GP Spain: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!

Results second free practice Spain: