Marco Rossi · F1-Korrespondent
On the newly built street course in the heart of Madrid, Mercedes set the benchmark from the opening session, while heavy traffic through the 22 corners generated more conversation than lap times themselves.
George Russell posted the fastest time in Friday's opening free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix with a 1:34.077 on the new Madring street course in Madrid, making it clear from the start that Mercedes is well-suited to this unusual layout. Teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli followed just 0.286 seconds back in second place, ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull. For the paddock, however, the session was less about raw speed and more about a masterclass in patience on a track that leaves no room for mistakes or traffic.
Mercedes with one-two, Ferrari and Red Bull at a distance
Russell and Antonelli demonstrated a consistency on the new course that the rest of the field lacked at this early stage. Charles Leclerc brought Ferrari home third, 0.459 seconds back, while Lewis Hamilton followed in fourth, 0.543 seconds behind the top spot. For Hamilton, who had celebrated his first Ferrari victory just months earlier in Barcelona, it was a training opener without fanfare, but also without concern.
Max Verstappen rounded out the top five, 0.626 seconds down, ahead of Lando Norris, who was 0.870 seconds back and completed the leading teams. On a completely new track, such margins naturally say little about the actual competitive order come Sunday, but they do suggest four racing teams are running in close proximity when it comes to points and positions this weekend.
Traffic over crashes: Lindblad frustrated with Hamilton and Antonelli
Unlike concerns heading into the weekend, Friday's Formula 1 session remained free of red flags, which is far from guaranteed on a tight city circuit surrounded by high barriers. The bigger story was the dense traffic through the 22 corners of the new track, which prompted several drivers to voice clear frustration over the radio.
Arvid Lindblad was particularly vocal about Lewis Hamilton and Andrea Kimi Antonelli impeding him through the steeply climbing turn 12, known as La Monumental. "The same two guys, man! I don't know what they're doing, they're just dumb in the middle of the fast corner. That's really very dangerous," the Racing Bulls driver transmitted to his team. According to reports, Carlos Sainz and Nico Hülkenberg also voiced complaints about cars blocking the ideal line, a sign that the track layout will demand some serious coordination from teams on subsequent sessions when stringing together quick laps.
Shadow of the Monza incident and looking ahead to the weekend
Leading into practice, the aftermath of the Ferrari driver collision from Monza dominated the conversation. According to reports, Charles Leclerc publicly took responsibility for the incident at Madrid's media day, in which Hamilton had been forced into the gravel, and the two drivers are said to have cleared the air in a private meeting. With Leclerc and Hamilton finishing third and fourth in first practice without further contact, that may be read internally as a small sign of de-escalation, though it hardly answers the bigger question of how Ferrari will cope with Mercedes' one-two stranglehold.
Before the opening F1 session, a heavy crash in Formula 2 cast a shadow over the start preparations: ART driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak lost control at turn 19, and his car caught fire on impact, though the driver is reported to have escaped the wreckage unhurt. For Formula 1, it meant a 24-minute schedule interruption, a stark reminder of how unforgiving this new circuit is with mistakes. For Mercedes, the initial assessment was encouraging; for Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren, Saturday's qualifying leaves time to explain or close the gap.
