George Russell set the pace in the opening free practice session at the newly minted Madring circuit, edging out Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by nearly three tenths as Formula 1 returned to Madrid ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
As the pit lane light turned green at 1330 local time, teams rushed to gather crucial telemetry on the 5.414km layout. Mercedes seized the early advantage, with Russell posting a leading lap of 1m 34.077s on the medium Pirelli tires.
Behind the leading Silver Arrows, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton established themselves best of the rest. Yet the morning session was far from straightforward across the paddock. Sergio Perez encountered early trouble requiring a steering wheel change for his Cadillac, while Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto remained confined to the garage for the opening 15 minutes.
Building La Monumental: Engineering F1’s Newest Banking
The circuit itself represents a massive financial and infrastructural undertaking.
The centerpiece of the venue is the sweeping turn designed to house spectators. Designed with input from former manager Luis Garcia Abad, the circuit marries high-speed characteristics with Madrid’s infrastructure. It started as a joke, it was a fantasy,
says Luis Garcia Abad, Madring boss and former manager to Spain’s only world champion Fernando Alonso, among other Spanish sports stars. An F1 grand prix is like a unicorn – you are trying always to see the unicorn but at the end you realise [sometimes] it's impossible.
Garcia Abad added: The queue of cities trying to organise an F1 GP is huge. They have to choose right – we signed a contract for 10 years.
He also noted: Maybe seven or eight years ago we talked about this race. At some point Ifema called me and said 'what are you thinking [about its viability]?' After one morning [here] I said: 'It's possible.'
Organisers plumped for what outsiders may see as an unloved expo area run by the quasi-state owned Ifema organisation next to the city’s airport.
Championship Stakes and Practice Drama
On track, teams grappled with rapid evolution and high grip levels, though Esteban Ocon reported that the grip is high
early in the running, with lap times continually tumbling as drivers utilised the medium Pirelli tyre in the early running and attempted to avoid traffic that was rife around the 5.414km street circuit throughout. Drivers soon began to exceed the limits, with Antonelli running wide.
The championship narrative casts a long shadow over the Madrid paddock. In terms of the championship, Antonelli dealt his teammate Russell a heavy blow at the Italian Grand Prix. The young Mercedes driver won after starting from P19 on the grid last Sunday, while the Briton finished second despite starting on the front row. As a result, Antonelli now leads the championship by 66 points. Cuenta con una gran ventaja Antonelli sobre su compañero George Russell, puesto que el primero suma 267 puntos por los 201 de su compañero de Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), cuarto en Zandvoort y sexto en Monza, perdió fuelle con respecto al binomio de Mercedes.
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-09-11T133036.411.webp "Photo: Formula 1")
| Driver | Team | FP1 Time |
|---|---|---|
| George Russell | Mercedes | 1m 34.077s |
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.286s |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.459s |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.543s |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.626s |
Technical gremlins also disrupted preparations for several key contenders. Yuki Tsunoda, in for his third consecutive race with Liam Lawson replacing Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, was forced to pull into the pits midway through the session with a power steering issue which ended his afternoon – losing him crucial track time at a brand new circuit. Oscar Piastri’s session ended a little early too, the Australian complaining of something loose in his footwell, which appeared to be something broken in the cockpit of his car.
Weekend Schedule and Track Evolution
It’s time for the second and final free practice session of this Friday from the Spanish Grand Prix at the brand-new Madring. El Gran Premio de España 2026 se realizará del 11 al 13 de septiembre en Madrid, en donde el piloto mexicano Sergio “Checo” Pérez tendrá una nueva oportunidad para sumar sus primeros puntos en esta temporada de la Fórmula 1 con Cadillac. Se disputa en el novedoso circuito de Madring Sur el Gran Premio de España, donde Fernando Alonso y Carlos Sainz quieren puntuar en la prueba número 14 de la temporada, en este Gran Premio de España 2026 de Fórmula 1.
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