Oscar Piastri showcased an impressive performance in the final practice session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, clocking in the fastest time, which put him 0.526 seconds ahead of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. The margin was somewhat deceptive, as Norris experienced an issue during his initial flying lap, running wide at the fast Turn Nine while on soft tyres. This error resulted in him securing his best time on tyres that were not at their optimum.
Despite this, Norris still managed to outpace Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished in third place, by 0.217 seconds. Mercedes’ George Russell took fourth, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top five, trailing Piastri by 0.988 seconds.
Norris faced challenges with a recurring issue known as “porpoising,” a phenomenon that briefly plagued many teams in the 2022 season when new regulations were enforced. This aero issue results in bouncing due to airflow stalls underneath the car, but typically occurs less frequently now. Norris’ engineer communicated that addressing the porpoising would require him to return to the pits to increase the car’s ride height.
Completing the top ten were Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls in sixth, followed by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, and Hadjar’s teammate Liam Lawson.
Piastri’s strong performance could signify a competitive race for McLaren and a potential breakthrough in their season. With more teams continuing to develop their cars and adapt to the regulations, the upcoming race could yield exciting results.