Max Verstappen followed up his Monaco victory by leading the way during Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, topping both FP1 and FP2 en route to a new record time around the revised Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
With the track now featuring a high-speed final section, replacing the chicane used from 2007 to 2022, Verstappen pumped in a 1m 14.606s in first practice, followed by a 1m 13.907s in the second session to set the early benchmark.
FP2: Verstappen edges out Alonso during second Barcelona practice session
Verstappen’s time is the fastest ever lap of the chicane-less layout in an official F1 session, beating the pole position time posted by Fernando Alonso – coincidentally his nearest rival on Friday – back in 2006.
Watch the footage of Friday’s quickest effort in the video player above.
Next Up
Related Articles
Listen to F1 Nation’s Japanese GP preview
Why Japanese car culture makes racing at Suzuka so special
Unlocked10 tricky quiz questions about the Japanese Grand Prix
Haas’ best off-track moments 10 years on from their debut.webp)
UnlockedCan Bearman avoid the ‘Sophomore Slump’ in 2026?
BettingJapanese Grand Prix betting guide and latest odds