FIA issues warning to Alex Albon after Spanish GP FP1 incident with Lindblad

Alex Albon has been handed a warning by FIA stewards after an unsafe rejoin at Turn 6 during FP1 at the Spanish Grand Prix, with the Williams driver deemed to have been insufficiently cautious as Arvid Lindblad approached.

Why it matters:

The incident marks the first driver penalty of the inaugural Madrid weekend, setting an early precedent for how officials are policing the new Madring circuit. With a demanding layout featuring tight runoff areas, driver awareness during rejoins will be critical across the remainder of the weekend.

The details:

• Albon was told over team radio that Lindblad was closing and repeatedly checked his mirrors, but in doing so missed taking the appropriate line to stay right of the yellow line in the runoff area.
• He then accelerated across the track to avoid interfering with the Racing Bulls driver.
• The verdict: Stewards acknowledged Albon took reasonable action not to impede Lindblad, but ruled he "could have been more cautious and alert" when rejoining.
• Lindblad's frustration: The Racing Bulls driver was also unhappy after encountering Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli moving slowly on the exit of La Monumental, calling it "very dangerous" over team radio.

What's next:

• Lindblad finished FP1 seventh and improved to fourth in FP2, though he triggered the first red flag of the weekend with a crash at Turn 13.
• Albon was classified 20th in FP1 and 18th in FP2.
• Championship leader Kimi Antonelli set the pace in second practice.
• FP3 begins at 12:30 local time on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 16:00. Sunday's race starts at 15:00.