Paul Aron tops Formula 2 practice in Barcelona

Championship leader Paul Aron topped free practice in Barcelona ahead of qualifying on Friday in FIA Formula 2. 

Aron ended the session top of the times by a tenth. Enzo Fittipaldi was second for Van Amersfoort, with Franco Colapinto third for MP Motorsport.

This is the start of a triple header and five rounds in the next six weekends, where the championship fight will really begin to take shape.

Aron took the lead from Zane Maloney last time out in Monaco.

How Formula 2 practice unfolded in Barcelona

Formula 2 returned to action this weekend around the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya for round six of the 2024 Championship. This would be the start of the triple header for the drivers and teams, with rounds in Austria and Silverstone fast approaching.

Green light came on at the end of the pit lane, and drivers headed out on circuit for an installation lap, as the 45 minute session got underway.

Three drivers would be out on circuit and they would be Ritomo Miyata and the two AIX Racing cars of Joshua Durksen and Taylor Barnard.

Ritomo Miyata would have the fastest time, after the three out there were trading places multiple times. Miyata's 1:27.639 would be top as with just under half an hour remaining, the other 19 cars headed out on circuit.

Track began to see a flurry of lap times as championship leader Paul Aron, who went fastest on the first runs with a 1:26.922, which was an impressive lap time. He beat the MP Motorsport of Franco Colapinto by almost two tenths of a second.

Colapinto would soon be knocked down to third as Enzo Fittipaldi went second fastest - 0.044s faster than Colapinto with 20 minutes remaining.

Most of the drivers headed back to the pit lane as the two Campos cars remained out on track. Campos is on home soil, with drivers Isack Hadjar and home favourite Josep 'Pepe' Maria Marti. The drivers would both put themselves into the top 10. Hadjar would go seventh and Marti was ninth.

10 minutes to go and the drivers were venturing out onto the circuit with the hope of competing some late session flying laps. 

Could anyone stop the time from Paul Aron from Hitech? The championship leader's time had a tenth on second place Enzo Fittipaldi and was looking good to end the session top with five minutes remaining in Barcelona. Would his time be topped?

The answer would be no as no improvements were made and nothing changed at the top of the time sheets and Aron would end the session fastest for Hitech. Fittipaldi would be second for Van Amersfoort and Colapinto was third for MP Motorsport.

The two DAMS Lucas Oil cars were fourth and fifth, with Jak Crawford ahead of Juan Manuel Correa to complete the top five. Monaco feature race winner Zak O'Sullivan was sixth for ART, while Isack Hadjar was seventh for Campos.

​Richard Verschoor, Pepe Marti and Victor Martins rounded out the top 10.

Field closely matched ahead of qualifying

Paul Aron can feel the happiest after practice with him ending top of the free practice session in Barcelona, ahead of qualifying to come later on Friday.

The top 20 separated by just over a second, meaning that all is still very much to play for in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Action continues on Friday afternoon for qualifying. 

2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship: Round 6 - Spain free practice result

1. Paul Aron (Estonia, Hitech Pulse-Eight)
2. Enzo Fittipaldi (Brazil, Van Amersfoort Racing)
3. Franco Colapinto (Argentina, MP Motorsport)
4. Jak Crawford (United States, DAMS Lucas Oil)
5. Juan Manuel Correa (United States, DAMS Lucas Oil)
6. Zak O'Sullivan (Great Britain, ART Grand Prix)
7. Isack Hadjar (France, Campos racing)
8. Richard Verschoor (Netherlands, Trident)
9. Josep Maria Marti (Spain, Campos Racing)
10. Victor Martins (France, ART Grand Prix)
11. Oliver Bearman (Great Britain, Prema Racing)
12. Dennis Hauger (Norway, MP Motorsport)
13. Amaury Cordeel (Belgium, Hitech Pulse-Eight)
14. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Italy, Prema Racing)
15. Ritomo Miyata (Japan, Rodin Motorsport)
16. Joshua Durksen (Paraguay, AIX Racing)
17. Rafael Villagomez (Mexico, Van Amersfoort Racing)
18. Kush Maini (India, Invicta Racing)
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil, Invicta Racing)
20. Zane Maloney (Barbados, Rodin Motorsport)
21. Roman Stanek (Czech Republic, Trident)
22. Taylor Barnard (Great Britain, AIX Racing)  

Brandon Whiteside
Writer - F1 journal