Norris fastest in second Barcelona practice after Russell tops first session

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]Russell[/a] was ‌fastest in a hot and sunny first ‌practice, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Norris[/a], who sat out that session, ‌was 0.009 quicker in the second with the ‌day's best lap of one minute 15.426 seconds.[/p][p]McLaren's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a], last year's winner from pole position in ‌a McLaren one-two at the Circuit de ⁠Catalunya, was third ‌and Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] fourth.[/p][embed guid="5d7b3a30-28cd-4a23-adfb-a8a47e6e5145" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2065466279817879606" social-type="twitter" /][p]Mercedes's championship leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Kimi Antonelli[/a], ​who also sat out the first session while the team gave track time to ​reserve driver [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vesti-frederik/0zJEHFq1/"]Frederik Vesti[/a], was fifth as the 19-year-old Italian prepared for a weekend that ⁠could bring him ​a sixth win in a row.[/p][p]Red Bull's four-times world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] was sixth fastest, with Racing Bulls' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindblad-arvid/bgk1rl5a/"]Arvid Lindblad[/a] seventh and Audi's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bortoleto-gabriel/8zwcIVil/"]Gabriel Bortoleto[/a] ‌eighth.[/p][p]Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a], Antonelli's closest championship rival but still 66 points behind after finishing runner-up in the last two rounds, was ninth.[/p][embed guid="948ff6c0-2d99-43bf-a178-ab2ed94a826b" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2065469575651569694" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Russell enjoyed a trouble-free first session as he lapped with a best effort of 1:16.363, 0.203 quicker than Piastri.[/b][/p][p]First practice saw a cast of reserves on track with McLaren's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fornaroli-leonardo/UqvgJBxr/"]Leonardo Fornaroli[/a] fifth in Norris's car.[/p][p]Others ‌in action included [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aron-paul/GxbIPDaE/"]Paul Aron[/a] in an impressive ​sixth for Audi, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beganovic-dino/b1mNOXEK/"]Dino Beganovic[/a] at Ferrari, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iwasa-ayumu/OAZcNhC1/"]‌Ayumu Iwasa[/a] at Red Bull and American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/herta-colton/G0Rg9Fy7/"]Colton Herta[/a], a nine-time winner in IndyCar, at Cadillac.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/browning-luke/l6j8AAKb/"]Luke Browning[/a] had been due to take [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/albon-alexander/OEbwYC7k/"]Alex Albon[/a]'s Williams for the session, but failed ⁠to set a ⁠lap time due ‌to an electrical issue.[/p]