Norris leads Russell in F1 Barcelona Grand Prix Free Practice 2

A tight FP2 session at Barcelona with Norris ahead of Russell tells you more about relative pace windows than outright speed — Friday practice in Spain has historically been a poor predictor of Sunday order, given the circuit's sensitivity to tyre compound choice and fuel loads. What matters here is who is managing their tyres cleanly through the high-speed sections and who is leaning on the car early. Norris topping Russell keeps the McLaren vs Mercedes conversation alive, but the margins will compress or expand significantly once qualifying simulation runs begin Saturday.