Barcelona GP 2026 FP2 results: McLaren return to the top, Ferrari struggle to impress
The second free practice session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is now in the books, marking the first proper glimpse of competitive running in conditions closer to qualifying and race trim. After an FP1 session heavily influenced by reserve drivers and limited representative data, FP2 allowed teams to focus more clearly on push laps and long-run analysis under expected high temperatures for both qualifying and race day.
As usual at Montmeló, tyre degradation, thermal management, and race pace consistency became central themes as teams gathered crucial information ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Before diving into the full summary, track and environmental conditions played a significant role in shaping strategies, particularly with soft tyre runs being prioritised for qualifying simulations while longer stints were used to evaluate degradation patterns.
Norris sets the pace as McLaren confirm strong overall form
Lando Norris delivered the fastest lap of the session with a benchmark time of 1:15.426, placing McLaren firmly at the top of the timing sheets. The performance reinforced the team’s strong baseline competitiveness at Barcelona, especially over a single qualifying-style lap.
Charles Leclerc improved slightly on a fresh set of soft tyres, moving up to fourth position after a marginal gain on his flying lap. However, the Ferrari driver still remained off the ultimate pace set by McLaren.
Meanwhile, both Max Verstappen and George Russell shifted their focus early towards long-run simulations. Max Verstappen completed his stint on hard compound tyres, while George Russell used the medium compound as Mercedes began splitting their programme between drivers.
At Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli ran exclusively on soft tyres during his programme, completing competitive qualifying simulations before also transitioning into longer run data collection.
Degradation becomes a key factor as long-run data emerges
After around ten laps, Max Verstappen’s pace on the C2 compound began to drop significantly, highlighting the importance of thermal degradation at this circuit. The issue of overheating tyres is already proving to be one of the defining characteristics of the Barcelona weekend.
Charles Leclerc’s long-run data appeared more encouraging, with the SF-26 showing solid tyre management in the early phases of each stint before eventually reaching the expected performance drop-off point.
McLaren also demonstrated strong consistency over longer runs, suggesting that the papaya team may not only be competitive over a single lap but also well positioned in race pace conditions.
George Russell completed an 11-lap stint, while Mercedes as a whole appeared to struggle slightly with maintaining a stable rhythm over extended runs. The W17 showed signs of fluctuating performance as tyre wear progressed through each stint.
Kimi Antonelli also completed an 11-lap run on soft tyres, providing valuable comparative data within the Mercedes garage. Charles Leclerc’s own stint consisted of nine laps before Ferrari switched focus to a new programme phase, including pit stop practice and soft tyre work focused on launch performance and starts.
McLaren strong on both qualifying pace and race simulations
Overall, FP2 suggested that McLaren are not only highly competitive over a single flying lap but also extremely solid in race simulation conditions. The team demonstrated a well-balanced package that appears to work effectively across both push laps and long-run consistency.
Mercedes appeared more conservative in their approach, although it is widely expected that the Silver Arrows typically unlock their full performance potential on Saturday when qualifying begins.
Ferrari, meanwhile, displayed a more divided performance profile. The Italian team was less convincing over a single lap but showed more promising signs during race runs, suggesting that their SF-26 may be better suited to long-run stability than outright qualifying pace at this stage of the weekend.
Barcelona GP 2026 FP2 classification
1. Lando Norris
2. George Russell
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Kimi Antonelli
6. Max Verstappen
7. Arvid Lindblad
8. Gabriel Bortoleto
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Isack Hadjar
11. Nico Hülkenberg
12. Oliver Bearman
13. Liam Lawson
14. Carlos Sainz
15. Franco Colapinto
16. Pierre Gasly
17. Esteban Ocon
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Alexander Albon
20. Sergio Perez
21. Fernando Alonso
22. Lance Stroll
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