F1 Barcelona Grand Prix: FP1 Results and Report Missing Several Drivers on Track

Full report and results from first practice at the Barcelona Grand Prix.

May 21, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Mercedes driver George Russell (63) arrives to the paddock area at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images | David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Drama opened the morning for Formula 1 in Barcelona as Pierre Gasly had his two 5-second time penalties removed from the Monaco Grand Prix, elevating him back to 3rd place and his first podium since 2024 in Brazil.

The points shakeup was clear in the drivers' minds as they entered their cars in FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit. This track is one that the drivers and teams have already tested on this year, as it was the first outing for nearly all 22 drivers in pre-season testing for the new regulations era of F1.

Colton Herta, Hitech, F2, Australian GP 2026 | Hitech GP

In FP1, though, several of the drivers did not even get in the car, with many reserve drivers getting a chance to run – including Colton Herta, who needs several FP1 runs in order to gain enough Superlicence points to potentially enter F1 next season.

Encouraging Runs for McLaren, Ferrari with Upgrades

The session was topped, unsurprisingly, by George Russell in his Mercedes. He was closely followed by Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Leonardo Fornarolli in Lando Norris' McLaren.

The pace of the McLaren can, of course, be defined solely by Oscar Piastri, but really, where the data should make the McLaren crew feel confident is that on Fornarolli's Formula 1 debut, he is sitting well into the Top 10. The team has only made front wing upgrades.

May 2, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (16) during the F1 Miami Grand Prix Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Similarly, Charles Leclerc, with Ferrari being labeled as the favorites during the Barcelona weekend, sat solidly in P2. The team has brought eight upgrades to the car, including the entire floor, sidepods, and front wing revisions.

Even with his strong performance, though, Leclerc is still 5 tenths off the pace of Russell and Mercedes. Similarly, Piastri sits 2 tenths off of Russell's pace. It begs the question of the efficacy of any upgrade packages to challenge Mercedes' pace this season.

Reserve Drivers Take to Track

Seven of the eleven teams had one of their drivers sit in the garage or on the pit box for reserve drivers and academy drivers to get their chance to run the car during FP1.

McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, Audi, Cadillac, and Williams all replaced one driver, including our current championship leader, Antonelli, the reigning World Champion, Norris, and 7-time champion, Hamilton.

Several of the rookies displayed encouraging pace for their team, namely Fornarolli and Aron, who kept their cars within 1 second of Russell in his Mercedes. This is not only encouraging data for McLaren and Audi, respectively, but a strong signal to the teams that both drivers could step into an F1 seat if needed.

May 2, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Williams driver Alex Albon (23) during the Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix qualifications at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for the Williams outfit, Albon's car, piloted by Browning, experienced a wiring issue that kept the car from taking the track. It is unclear if this issue will be fixed by FP2 with Albon back behind the wheel.

F1 Barcelona Grand Prix 2026: FP1 Results

Position	Driver/ Team	Gap[s]
1.	George Russell / Mercedes	1:16.363
2.	Oscar Piastri / McLaren	+0.203
3.	Charles Leclerc / Ferrari	+0.520
4.	Max Verstappen / Red Bull	+0.684
5.	Leonardo Fornarolli/ McLaren	+0.853
6.	Paul Aron / Audi	+0.958
7.	Liam Lawson / Racing Bulls	+1.109
8.	Dino Beganovic / Ferrari	+1.415
9.	Arvid Lindblad / Racing Bulls	+1.441
10.	Franco Colapinto / Alpine	+1.530
11.	Ollie Bearman / Haas	+1.809
12.	Gabriel Bortoleto / Audi	+1.846
13.	Carlos Sainz / Williams	+1.930
14.	Ayumu Iwasa / Red Bull	+1.935
15.	Fred Vesti / Mercedes	+2.002
16.	Esteban Ocon / Haas	+2.009
17.	Pierre Gasly / Alpine	+2.145
18.	Valtteri Bottas / Cadillac	+2.551
19.	Fernando Alonso / Aston Martin	+3.704
20.	Lance Stroll / Aston Martin	+3.955
21.	Colton Herta / Cadillac	+4.334
22.	Luke Browning / Williams	No Time