The seventh round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
There is perhaps no track on the F1 calendar better known to the drivers than the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the pre-pre-season behind-closed-doors test having taken place at the Spanish venue earlier this year, and endless tests having taken place on the circuit across the years.
With long straights and several major braking zones, overtaking is certainly possible on the 4.65km layout, but the action can be somewhat muted, with few viewing the venue as a favourite.
After the build-up to the weekend was dominated by Alpine's appeal against penalties handed to Pierre Gasly in Monaco, the Frenchman was returned to the podium positions on Friday morning. Red Bull and McLaren have now registered an intent to appeal that decision, meaning the topic continues to rumble on.
As for the on-track action, Kimi Antonelli is looking to further extend his championship lead with a sixth victory in succession. He has already equalled Lewis Hamilton's career-best winning streak, and could surpass that marker on Sunday. Highlighting the achievement, only Max Verstappen (10), Sebastian Vettel (9), Nico Roseberg (7), Michael Schumacher (7), and Alberto Ascari (7) have won more than five in a row.
But it was McLaren and Lando Norris who led the way on Friday, with George Russell second from Oscar Piastri. Antonelli was fifth in FP2, behind Charles Leclerc, but Lewis Hamilton could manage only ninth place after scoring back-to-back podiums in Canada and Monaco.
Aston Martin appears set for perhaps its worst weekend of the season so far, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll at the foot of the time sheet, with the latter over four seconds off the pace, and home hero Alonso not much better off.
2026 Monaco Grand Prix Friday schedule
FP3 11:30pm BST - 12:30pm BST
Qualifying: 3:00pm BST - 4:00pm BST
Replays show that Antonelli came across significant traffic at Turn 10. There was a Haas parked on the kerb on the inside of the corner, and other drivers just dawdling around. This has been an issue for so many years, and there has never been a solution.
Antonelli goes again after his earlier problem - caused by Lance Stroll sitting on the line at Turn 2. He bails on the effort and returns to the pits.
Verstappen slots in behind Hamilton in P5, but neither driver seems to be in the pole conversation, with the pair 0.702s and 0.755s off the pace.
Hamilton improves to P4 with a 1m16.381s.
Antonelli has backed out of his effort. It looks like an error in Turns 1 and 2 was to blame.
Norris can't match Piastri. He's 0.246s back on Russell and sits P3.
Piastri is the next heavy hitter across the line and he goes second, 0.214s off Russell.
A 1m15.679s for Russell, but Norris is faster through sector one.
New tyres for Hulkenberg, and he improves to P7. But Russell is going purple!
The track has fallen almost completely silent now. Expect one more new set of soft tyres to be used in a final dash.
An odd one for Lawson, who reports that brake dust is getting in his eyes every time he hits the brakes. That can't be a nice experience.
Well, it looked like Hamilton was improving, but he falls two tenths off his best. All drivers are using old tyres, rather than burning another set.
Antonelli's latest effort is 0.024s slower than his previous best. Consistent. Hamilton, however, is improving.
FP3 resumes after Bottas' Cadillac has been recovered. The track is rather busy, with all drivers on softs, other than Perez on mediums.
Bottas had a snap of oversteer on the kerb in Turn 9, and "lost the brake pedal" into Turn 11. He was using the gearbox to slow the car, and essentially ditched his Cadillac in the gravel in a bid to avoid a nasty crash.
Calm thinking in a concerning situation. Add it to the list of brake problems for Cadillac this year.
Bottas loses the rear at Turn 11 and beaches his Cadillac in the gravel. That's nbot an ideal way to end your session.
Leclerc goes for a second effort on the same set of tyres and falls a few tenths shy of his best.
P6 for Hamilton. Given the absolute best would have been taken out of the tyres on his aborted effort, that's not terrible. He's half-a-second off Leclerc in P4, highlighting the scale of the penalty a small error could bring.
Hamilton has bailed early on his first timed effort after a strong sector one. A very loose moment on the exit of Turn 2 caused him to back out.
Purple sectors again, and Russell goes to the top with a 1m16.258s. Antonelli goes second, 0.242s behind his Mercedes team-mate.
P6 for Hadjar, who falls behind Lindblad by a couple of tenths. Verstappen goes P3 and looks stronger than on Friday. It'd be a stretch to suggest that Red Bull is back in the mix, to be honest.
P3 for Piastri with a 1m17.281s. It wasn't bad, but there was plenty that could be tidied on that tour. Given how far off the times are so far, maybe we're seeing some sandbagging.
The Red Bull pair now leave the garage as Piastri begins his first effort. Antonelli, Hamilton, and Russell are the only three drivers yet to be seen.
P2 for Leclerc, but there were lifts all over the place and a huge oversteer moment as he came across traffic. There is plenty of time to be found as the track rubbers in.
At the other end of the scale, a 1m20.375s for Stroll. Oh dear.