George Russell claimed top spot in the inaugural Formula 1 practice session held at the new Madring circuit in Madrid, finishing nearly three-tenths clear of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. While Ferrari demonstrated strong speed on medium tyres, Mercedes dominated using the soft compound in the opening session.
Lewis Hamilton drew significant frustration from his competitors after being caught impeding faster drivers on their flying laps. Multiple teams raised concerns via radio, with the incident becoming a focal point of the session.
Nico Hulkenberg was particularly vocal over his team radio, calling Hamilton’s positioning “nasty” after being held up into the final corner. Carlos Sainz echoed the sentiment, stating it was dangerous for Hamilton not to yield sooner. Arvid Lindblad also expressed aggrievement regarding the Ferrari driver’s track position during his fast lap.
Charles Leclerc managed to climb to third place with a late improvement, overtaking Hamilton but remaining more than four-tenths behind the session leader. Anthony Davidson suggested that lock-ups into Turn 17 may have prevented the Ferraris from setting their absolute fastest times on the soft tyres.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies noted that the new circuit presents a massive challenge due to the walls, tyre management, and various speed corners. He observed that tyres overheat quickly and noted that teams are still working to balance the setup for the kerbs.
McLaren encountered technical issues when Oscar Piastri reported internal contact within the cockpit. The driver returned to the garage for repairs, missing the final minutes of the session. Fernando Alonso also brushed against the barriers for Aston Martin but continued without significant damage, ultimately finishing 18th.
Alex Albon faces an investigation for rejoining the track unsafely after departing at Turn 6. Meanwhile, Red Bull confirmed that driver Hadjar is focused on full recovery and will be assessed before the next race in Baku, prioritizing his fitness over immediate return.
The second practice session is scheduled to begin at 4pm local time.
Madring looks brutal. With walls that close and tyres overheating, one mistake ends your weekend instantly.
Hamilton doing Hamilton again. Rivals are clearly frustrated he’s still a problem even in P3 qualifying position.