Barcelona-Catalunya 2026 Grand Prix – Friday wrap-up

The 2026 Formula 1 season rolled into the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday with a trio of drivers sharing the workload across two practice sessions. Rookie Fred Vesti made his first real-world acquaintance with the Mercedes-AMG W17 in FP1, stepping into Kimi Antonelli’s car to complete the mandatory four rookie outings dictated by the sporting regulations. Vesti ran a programme mirroring George Russell’s, alternating between Medium and Soft compounds on fast laps and long runs, finishing 15th after banking early laps on low fuel. His stint provided the team with critical long-run data. Russell led the timesheets in FP1, while Antonelli returned for FP2 to slot fifth, just 0.009 s adrift of Lando Norris at the top. Both Mercedes drivers focused on Medium and Soft tyres, saving both sets of Hards for the rest of the weekend. Russell’s long run used Mediums, Antonelli’s Softs, as the squad gathered race-day intel. Russell called the W17 “solid and consistent” on a track that exposes car weaknesses, noting McLaren’s pace and hinting at a tight fight with Ferrari and Red Bull. Antonelli admitted a tough start after missing FP1, citing overheating and balance issues, but highlighted promising long-run pace and data. Vesti, who had logged countless simulator miles in the W17, described the first real run as “incredible,” flagging minor correlation gaps and a brake-induced Medium-tyre lock-up that forced an early switch to Softs. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin praised Vesti’s seamless transition from sim to track, Russell’s strong opening session, and the car’s resilience in high-heat conditions. The Mercedes-AMG squad now turns its focus to Saturday’s qualifying, where small gains could make a decisive difference on Sunday.