George Russell made a strong start to the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, topping the opening free practice session at the newly introduced Madring circuit in Madrid. According to Formula 1, the Mercedes driver clocked 1:34.077, finishing 0.286 seconds ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli. The impressive result gives the British racer an early boost after his teammate extended his championship lead with victory at Monza last weekend. The Italian youngster, currently leading the Drivers’ Championship, settled for second after completing 27 laps.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top three, recording a best time of 1:34.536, while teammate Lewis Hamilton was fourth. According to Reuters, the Ferrari pair were within half a second of the leading Mercedes, although they were running on medium tyres compared with the softer rubber used by the Silver Arrows. Max Verstappen and reigning champion Lando Norris followed in fifth and sixth respectively. The session was largely incident-free despite the demanding new circuit, which features fast sections, narrow passages and the heavily banked Monumental corner. Reuters reported that several drivers raised concerns about traffic during the session, while Fernando Alonso brushed the wall and Carlos Sainz finished 17th.
Kimi Antonelli aims to build on Monza triumph
Kimi Antonelli heads into the Spanish Grand Prix with confidence after a remarkable comeback victory at Monza, where he recovered from 19th on the grid to claim an emotional home win. According to The Associated Press, the 20-year-old now holds a 66-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell with 10 races remaining. However, his momentum will be tested by the brand-new Madring circuit in Madrid, which presents an unfamiliar challenge for the entire F1 field. The 5.4-kilometre track features high-speed sections, heavy braking zones, elevation changes, blind turns and close barriers.
Reflecting on his memorable Monza triumph, the young Italian said, “Definitely so far the best day of my life, and an incredible memory. Wish (I had) a bit more time to realize and enjoy it, but now obviously we are in Madrid and we are ready to do our best and we’ll try to repeat.” The new circuit has already attracted attention for its demanding layout, with drivers describing it as challenging and high-adrenaline. The heavily banked La Monumental corner is expected to be one of the biggest tests, stretching almost 550 metres with a significant elevation difference.
