Russell leads Mercedes one-two in first Madring practice

George Russell set the pace as Formula 1 made its first competitive visit to the all-new Madring circuit, leading a Mercedes one-two in opening practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. The Briton's 1:34.077 lap edged teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.286 seconds, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton following.

Why it matters:

The session marked the start of a new chapter for the Spanish GP, which has moved from Barcelona to a 5.4-kilometre, 22-turn layout around the IFEMA Madrid exhibition centre. Teams faced the unusual challenge of learning a brand-new circuit while evaluating the latest-generation cars on a track with no prior data.

The details:

• Russell's benchmark came after a switch to Soft tyres, improving from 1:34.145 to 1:34.077.
• Both Ferraris set their fastest laps on Mediums: Leclerc was 0.459s off, Hamilton 0.543s behind.
• Championship leader Max Verstappen placed fifth for Red Bull, 0.626s down, with Lando Norris sixth in the McLaren.
• Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad impressed in seventh, ahead of Oscar Piastri's McLaren.
• The session ran without red flags, but Yuki Tsunoda lost time to a power steering issue, and Fernando Alonso stopped on track after the chequered flag.
• Carlos Sainz completed the most laps (30) for Williams.

What's next:

Teams will refine their understanding of the Madring in FP2, with the focus shifting to long-run pace and tyre degradation. The track's unique mix of corners is expected to keep the pecking order fluid heading into qualifying.