FP1 Spanish GP: George Russell sets the pace in Madring debut

George Russell made the strongest possible start to Formula 1’s first visit to the Madring, topping opening practice for the Spanish Grand Prix with a lap of 1:34.077.

The new circuit demanded caution from the field during the early stages, with the barriers positioned perilously close around the track. Drivers began the session on the harder compounds before switching to the soft tyre, when Russell moved to the top of the timesheet.

He finished almost three-tenths of a second ahead of Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. The result gives Mercedes an early one-two, while Antonelli begins the weekend seeking to extend his championship advantage.

The circuit’s layout and unforgiving margins had raised fears that the session could be interrupted by red flags. Instead, practice ran without a stoppage. A late yellow flag appeared only momentarily, allowing the field to complete its running.

Ferrari follows as traffic becomes an early concern

Ferrari occupied the next two positions, with Charles Leclerc ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The team arrives in Madrid looking to recover from a difficult home event at Monza last weekend, and its double top-four result provides an encouraging opening response.

Max Verstappen placed fifth for Red Bull, followed by reigning champion Lando Norris. Norris was around one second away from Russell’s benchmark, although the first session at a brand-new venue offered an incomplete picture of the competitive order.

Arvid Lindblad produced one of the notable performances of the session, taking seventh and finishing ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Nico Hulkenberg put Audi ninth, edging Liam Lawson by just 0.010 seconds as Lawson completed the top 10.

Qualifying preparation already in focus

Traffic emerged as a recurring issue throughout the session, with several drivers expressing frustration after being held up on track. At a circuit where the barriers leave little margin for error, managing space will be an important part of the weekend’s execution.

The subject is likely to feature prominently in driver discussions before qualifying on Saturday. For now, Russell and Mercedes hold the early advantage, while the rest of the field continues to learn the demands of the new Madring. Further background on the venue is available in this Madring guide to Madrid’s Formula 1 debut.