2024 F1 Round 10, Spanish GP FP1: Norris Edges Verstappen by 0.024 Seconds, Alonso Debris Triggers Red Flag and Tsunoda Finishes Last

Round 10 of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the Spanish Grand Prix, got under way at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the evening of 21 June, Beijing time. McLaren’s Lando Norris led the first free practice session with a 1:14.228, beating reigning champion and championship leader Max Verstappen by 0.024 seconds. RB driver Yuki Tsunoda finished 20th.

Home favourite Carlos Sainz was third, more than three tenths behind the leading pair. George Russell was fourth in the Mercedes, the fastest car at the previous round in Canada. Norris and Verstappen had set their times on soft tyres, while Sainz and Russell used mediums. Allowing for the different compounds, the four cars looked closely matched, raising the prospect of a four-way contest over the weekend.

Conditions were sunny at Barcelona, with an air temperature of 28°C and a track temperature of 48°C at the start of practice. Most teams brought upgrades to this traditional testing venue and used the 60-minute session to assess them. Red Bull and Ferrari introduced substantial changes focused on the floor and rear of the car. Charles Leclerc described the SF-24’s performance on hard tyres as “quite bad”, but Sainz showed pace comparable to Norris after switching to mediums.

Problems soon emerged too. Sergio Pérez reported an issue with the throttle pedal but still finished fifth. Leclerc reported a clutch problem with ten minutes remaining, while Pierre Gasly returned to the pits in the final five minutes, saying the car was “undriveable”. Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas, running new rear wings, both experienced DRS-flap flutter on the straights.

With 22 minutes remaining, Fernando Alonso ran over the kerb beyond the track at the exit of Turn 9. A component came off the front-right of his Aston Martin and landed on the racing line, prompting a red flag. The interruption also cost Tsunoda his opportunity to set a timed lap on soft tyres, leaving the Japanese driver last at the end of first practice.

Oliver Bearman, standing in for Nico Hülkenberg at Haas, delivered a solid session. He finished 19th, just two tenths behind team-mate Kevin Magnussen. Second practice was scheduled for 23:00 Beijing time on 21 June.