Welcome to Total-Motorsport’s live F1 coverage of the Spanish GP 2024 Free Practice 2 session. Held at the iconic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, today’s session marks the next step in an exciting Formula 1 weekend, where teams will gather vital data and refine their setups ahead of Sunday’s race. Stay with us as we bring you real-time updates and insights from the track.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, often considered one of the most complete on the Formula 1 calendar, offers a challenging mix of high-speed corners and demanding straights. The circuit’s layout, including the high-speed Turn 3 and the intricate combination of Turns 13 and 14, tests the limits of both car and driver.
As the first practice session kicks off, teams will focus on gathering crucial data, evaluating their cars’ performance, and assessing tyre behaviour. Historically, the Spanish GP has been a key indicator of a car’s overall competitiveness, today’s free practice significant.
The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix will take place over 66 laps of the 4.657-kilometre Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race weekend runs from Friday, June 21 until Sunday, June 23, 2024. With higher temperatures expected this year, managing tyre degradation will be crucial, potentially affecting strategy decisions for the rest of the weekend.
F1 Spanish GP 2024 FP2 LIVE: News and Latest Updates
Stay tuned to Total-Motorsport.com for all the live action from the 2024 Spanish GP with this second practice session at the historic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Thanks and goodbye!
But that’s all from us today! Thus far our two hours of practice have yielded a much more interesting picture than the Red Bull doomsday that had been predicted, but there’s still plenty of work to be done by every team before cars hit the track for their final tune-up tomorrow.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
FP3 starts an hour earlier than FP1 did today, at 11:30 BST, and we’ll be online half an hour before that so make sure you see us there. And don’t forget all the reaction and analysis coming up before that, on a fascinating weekend on and off the track!
Report: FP2 shows open battle for Spanish GP pole
Spanish GP – Practice 2 Results
So did anything change? Have stranger things happened..?
Chequered flag out
It’d be a surprise if anyone improves their headline times in the final laps of the session, but stranger things have happened in F1 haven’t they?
Session over for Zhou
He’s out of the car with two minutes to go, the only car in the pitlane with Leclerc’s troubles seemingly over allowing him a couple of laps at the death.
Throw a blanket over them
That’s not a threat, but it’s a tight old running order out there. There’s eight cars within half a second (and two thousandths) of Hamilton, and no obvious pecking order amongst the top three teams.
Red Bull troubles continue
Verstappen took to the escape road there at turn one as he continues to pound away on a long run. He’s still not happy with the state of his RB20, as Red Bull appear to be clearly behind Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari. Leclerc’s car remains in the pits receiving work, he’s the only driver not out on track in the final 10 minutes.
Top 10 with 15 minutes to go
Not too much change from the halfway stage, with just Piastri and Pierre Gasly jumping into the top half.
- Hamilton 1:13.264
- Sainz +0.022
- Norris +0.055
- Gasly +0.179
- Verstappen +0.240
- Leclerc +0.333
- Piastri +0.358
- Russell +0.458
- Ocon +0.502
- Bottas +0.660
Haas boss praises Bearman
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu told Sky Sports F1 they’re willing to sacrifice grid position to nail the race setup given the potential for changing conditions this weekend, and added the soft tyre will only work for one lap tomorrow.
He also gave another glowing review for Oliver Bearman, who took Hulkenberg’s place in FP1 earlier:
“Again he’s done another excellent job this morning, he always understands the context he’s in.”
What’s up with Red Bull?
Perez has now crossed the line but can only manage 13th, and the Red Bull garage is a hive of activity over Verstappen’s car. They’ve switched to a different front wing, but appear to be struggling with the warm temperatures as the sun continues to blaze down.
Hamilton holds off challengers
Hamilton has survived this wave of quali sims and remains top of the timesheets! Everyone’s had a run on the soft tyres except Sergio Perez who sits 20th right now at more than two seconds off the pace.
Hamilton appears to have the edge in his tyre management over the course of the lap, several drivers matched him in the first two sectors but had given everything and fell off in the final stages, notably Piastri who was going great guns at the first two splits but ended up seventh and almost four-tenths behind.
Top 10 at the halfway stage
- Hamilton 1:13.264
- Sainz +0.022
- Norris +0.055
- Verstappen +0.240
- Leclerc +0.333
- Ocon +0.502
- Bottas +0.660
- Magnussen +0.757
- Hulkenberg +0.789
- Russell +0.825
Hamilton top!
Mercedes have been competitive from the first laps of this session and now it’s Hamilton’s turn to go top! He pips Sainz by just 0.022 on the soft tyres, can Ferrari or McLaren hit back now?
Sainz to the fore
Sainz is a driver who performs better on emotion than perhaps any other driver on the grid, and he’s got the home crowd cheering here by putting in a 1:13.286 to top the timesheets, with Norris splitting the two Ferraris ahead of Bottas and the Haas pair?!?
Ferrari looking good
Oscar Piastri is recalled to the garage due to a ‘data issue’ but Carlos Sainz takes his place on track alongside the two Williams, with Ferrari having looked superbly stable and planted through the corners so far. The home boy is out on soft tyres too, meaning we’re about to see some qualifying sims!
How it stands, 15 minutes in:
- Russell +1:14.089
- Norris +0.108
- Hamilton +0.205
- Verstappen +0.358
- Sainz +0.657
- Leclerc +0.732
- Ocon +1.017
- Piastri +1.029
- Gasly +1.139
- Bottas +1.142
Trouble for Verstappen?
He’s not exactly known for underselling potential car trouble, but Verstappen’s been on the team radio complaining of understeer, with his RB20 too loose on corner exit. He’s 0.358s behind Russell, our new leader in the clubhouse by a tenth from Norris.
Medium dominates
Only four drivers have taken to track on the hard tyres, with Oscar Piastri the best of them in 15th – almost two seconds off the pace of his teammate. McLaren are doing some slipstream rehearsals too, keep an eye on that for qualifying given the stonking straight this track boasts.
Norris goes purple
The quickest time is tumbling as drivers put in their first hotlap of the session but Norris leads the two Mercedes with a 1:14.197 right now – faster than his best attempt in FP1.
GREEN LIGHT AND WE ARE GO GO GO
We’re underway for FP2! Given the hot temperatures there wasn’t a queue at the end of the pitlane but there’s plenty of cars immediately heading to track.
T-5 minutes
Just five minutes to go until cars hit the track! It will be the first chance for Nico Hulkenberg to get acquainted with the Circuit de Catalunya after Oliver Bearman took his place in FP1, the Brit is widely expected to have his 2025 F1 drive announced in the coming weeks.
Team to beat?
Red Bull have been touted as clear favourites in Barcelona, but FP1 didn’t quite stick to that script. Verstappen was just edged out of top spot by Norris but more importantly his long-run pace didn’t seem too dominant, with George Russell matching it for Mercedes.
However, it’s a much better starting position than Red Bull enjoyed at Imola or Monaco, so now the question is how much they can improve this afternoon, and before qualifying.
Unhappy Wolff
It’s been a headline-grabbing start to the Spanish Grand Prix weekend hasn’t it? The usual driver market rumblings in the longest silly season ever have been overshadowed by Flavio Briatore’s return and rumours over Mercedes’ treatment of their outgoing stalwart…
Hello and welcome!
It’s time for FP2 in Catalonia! It all gets underway in just 20 minutes, Lando Norris was the pacesetter in FP1 by just a quarter of a tenth of a second ahead of Max Verstappen, so who will be quickest this time around?
Spanish GP Weather: Latest forecast for FP2
It’s been a hot and sunny Friday in Barcelona with temperatures hitting 24°C (75°F). After a dry FP1, there’s a 20% chance of thunderstorms developing in the afternoon, which could disrupt the practice sessions. Wind speeds are moderate though, averaging 10 km/h from the southeast, with gusts up to 30 km/h during FP2.
Spanish GP 2024 Pirelli Tyre Info
Tyre management at the 2024 Spanish GP is set to play a pivotal role, with Pirelli bringing its hardest compounds—C1 as Hard, C2 as Medium, and C3 as Soft—to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Known for its technical demands, the circuit exerts significant lateral forces, particularly on the left side due to the predominance of right-hand turns, challenging tyre durability and performance. The higher temperatures expected this year add another layer of complexity, likely impacting tyre degradation and influencing strategic decisions throughout the weekend.
Where to Watch the F1 2024 Spanish GP
Sky Sports F1 remains the home for live Formula 1 racing in the UK. The channel will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Spanish GP, including practice, qualifying, and the race itself. Meanwhile, F1 fans in the USA can catch all the action from Barcelona across ESPN.
