McLaren shines in Barcelona: Norris and Piatri set accents!

McLaren shines in Barcelona: Norris and Piatri set accents!

Barcelona, Spanien - On May 30, 2025, the Formula 1 team McLaren shows an impressive performance at the Grand Prix of Spain. Lando Norris and Oscar Piatri dominated the first day of training. Norris included the first part of the sessions with the best time in Friday training, while Piatri achieved the fastest time in the second training session in the afternoon. George Russell from Mercedes followed second, with a gap of 0.286 seconds. Max Verstappen, the leading driver of Red Bull, and Norris fought an exciting duel and had the same time in the second training session with a gap of 0.310 seconds.

The new regulation with regard to the front wings, which reduced the flexibility from 15 mm to 10 mm below load, could be a challenge for McLaren. Helmut Marko von Red Bull said that teams have been preparing for this rule change for over six months. Despite this uncertainty, McLaren with Piatri and Norris remains in a strong position in the driver's ranking. Piatri runs with 161 points, followed by Norris with 158 points and Verstappen, which is in third place with 136 points.

Verstappen remains in the title race

Despite his current score, Max Verstappen is still considered a serious opponent for the title. Lando Norris and Oscar Piatri have emphasized that Verstappen mathematically did not leave the race for the Formula 1 World Cup 2025. McLaren has shown impressive achievements in the previous season races, but the progress brake through the technical guideline is a potential threat to its previous advantage. Piatri is aware that Red Bull will be competitive in Barcelona, while Norris points out that every driver has the chance to win the championship.

Verstappen himself does not see himself in direct competition at the moment because he sees the pace as superior. Nevertheless, he gives his best, regardless of the current relations of the car and the racing situation. The excitement will continue to increase on Saturday when qualifying takes place at 4:00 p.m., followed by the race on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

focus on future races

Another interesting aspect is that Verstappen was classified by the FIA as a platinum driver and may be able to take part in GT races. Marko indicated that Verstappen could think about it in autumn, but the focus is currently on Formula 1. Red Bull Racing is expected to officially grant permission for Verstappen for these races.

The current season is considered one of the most exciting in the history of Formula 1 racing, especially with a view to the record performance of Max Verstappen, and the unbroken ambition of McLaren for the title.