Mercedes ended Friday’s running at the 2025 F1 Spanish GP with encouragement after George Russell finished P2 and Kimi Antonelli secured P6 in a productive FP2 sessions in Barcelona. The Silver Arrows showed competitive pace following their struggles in Monaco, with Russell leading their team’s charge behind pacesetter Oscar Piastri.
Russell secures P2 with strong soft tyre pace in F1 Spanish GP practice
George Russell delivered an impressive performance in FP2, securing second place with a lap time just 0.286 seconds behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
However, the Mercedes driver acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in race pace. In the last race on a track where passing is possible, they had massive struggles at Imola.
“In the Quali runs we looked pretty decent, so it was nice to be back where the car has been after some tough races,” Russell commented after Friday’s sessions. “Nevertheless, the long run pace doesn’t look superb and that has been an objective of ours recently, to try and improve the long run pace.”
Despite the concerns over race pace, Russell remained optimistic about Mercedes’ position heading into Saturday. “Yeah, I feel in a good place. I’m enjoying driving this circuit, it felt good out there today, it’s hot. Let’s see what the next two days bring.”
Russell’s performance represented a significant step forward for Mercedes after what he described as their recent “tough races,” with the team showing the kind of pace that has been missing in recent rounds.
Antonelli continues development in P6
Kimi Antonelli finished the session in sixth place, continuing his steady progression as a Formula 1 rookie despite encountering some technical challenges with the W16.
“We need to check on the floor, but definitely I was suffering a little bit of bouncing, especially in high speed and it was a bit more than usual,” Antonelli explained after the session. The Italian also had “a moment over the bumps at Turn 9” during his running.
Despite these issues, the 18-year-old showed clear improvement throughout the day.
“Overall I think the car was much better in FP2, I was feeling much more confident compared to FP1 and I was able to get into the rhythm, especially single lap [runs],” he noted.
The 18-year-old will work with the team overnight to analyze the data and find the optimal setup balance for Sunday’s race, building on the progress made during Friday’s running.
Mercedes strategy pays off after measured approach
Mercedes took a cautious approach in FP1 at the F1 Spanish GP, opting not to run the soft tires and instead concentrating on the harder compounds. This strategic decision meant their true pace remained hidden during the morning session, with the team focusing on understanding the car’s behavior on medium and hard tires.
The measured approach appeared to pay dividends in FP2, where Mercedes showed their hand with competitive times on the soft compounds. Russell’s strong performance suggested the team had gathered valuable data during their conservative FP1 running, allowing them to optimize their setup for the qualifying simulation runs.
With both drivers showing competitive pace in FP2, Mercedes will be cautiously optimistic about their prospects for the remainder of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. The team’s ability to run both cars in the top six suggests they have found a more balanced setup approach that could translate into stronger qualifying and race performance.
Outlook for Saturday
Mercedes heads into Saturday’s final practice and qualifying sessions with renewed confidence after their Friday showing. Russell’s P2 position and Antonelli’s P6 result provide a solid foundation to build upon, particularly if the team can maintain their competitive pace across different fuel loads and tire compounds.
The key for Mercedes will be translating their single-lap pace into qualifying performance and race competitiveness. With McLaren setting the early pace through Piastri in FP2 and Norris in FP1, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and the Ferraris lurking behind, the battle for pole promises to be intense.
The F1 Spanish GP weekend could mark a turning point for Mercedes’ 2025 campaign if they can convert their Friday pace into meaningful championship points across both cars.
