FP1: Norris pips Verstappen to head opening practice in Barcelona

McLaren driver Lando Norris set the benchmark time with a 1m14.228s to fractionally beat championship runaway leader Max Verstappen in the first practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Although Lando Norris looked to slightly lack pace in the opening stages of the first one-hour practice session, he ended up fastest with a late push lap on Pirelli's soft tyres.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen was quickest after the first runs that saw drivers use Pirelli's hard compound, but finished the session in P2, using the red-walled tyres for his quickest lap.

Home hero Carlos Sainz looked comfortable in his car on both compounds, and he ended up third, setting his best lap of 1m14.572s on the yellow-banded mediums. His team-mate Charles Leclerc struggled all through the session, calling the behaviour of this car "horrendous". The Monegasque took only 11th on Pirelli's medium tyres.

Between the two Ferraris were the two Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri.

The current field's second Spanish driver Fernando Alonso racked up a total of 25 laps on home turf, setting the 9th quickest lap. His team-mate Lance Stroll was three tenths of a second slower which saw the Canadian take 14th.

Nico Hulkenberg missed the opening session as he handed over his car to Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Oliver Bearman. The young Briton took 19th in his second FP1 outing of 2024, ending the session only two tenths of a second behind regular driver Kevin Magnussen.