McLaren world champion Lando Norris was fastest on Friday in second practice in Barcelona as top drivers entered the fray after missing the opening session.
Norris, who has watched rivals Mercedes win all six grands prix this season, was 0.009 seconds quicker than Mercedes driver and fellow Briton George Russell.
Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli could only place fifth fastest behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Practice is notoriously difficult to judge and Saturday's qualifying session will give more of an indication of pace, but Norris' run backs up pundits who felt McLaren might get more of a look-in this weekend.
Russell had topped the timesheets in first practice, when Italian teenager Antonelli was among the big names to sit out.
First practice featured seven rookies in place of regular drivers at various teams.
Antonelli leads the championship, 68 points ahead of Russell after his fifth straight victory last weekend in Monaco.
Russell, who has struggled since winning the season opener in Australia, finished outside the points in the principality over pit lane speeding and Mercedes failing to serve the penalty correctly.
The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix was formerly the Spanish GP but that will from now on be held on a new Madrid circuit, starting in September.
The Barcelona race will alternate with the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps from next year, with Spa earmarked for 2027 and Barcelona 2028.
