George Russell laid down an early marker in the first-ever Formula 1 practice session at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. The Mercedes driver topped the timesheets, edging out his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 0.286 seconds. It was a strong start for the Silver Arrows at the brand-new venue.
Interestingly, Russell trails Antonelli by 66 points in the championship standings ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. Antonelli arrives with momentum after a stunning comeback victory from 19th on the grid at Monza. Now, the Mercedes duo sits first and second, signaling their intent to fight at the front on this unknown track.
In third place, Charles Leclerc was 0.459 seconds adrift. The Ferrari driver is forced to use an older power unit due to damage concerns following his huge race-ending crash at Monza. His teammate Lewis Hamilton was fourth, 0.543 seconds back, but did not set his fastest time on the soft tyre after hitting traffic on several runs.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen could only manage sixth, over six tenths off the pace in his Red Bull. Reigning world champion Lando Norris was behind him, followed by Arvid Lindblad in the Racing Bulls. Oscar Piastri was eighth in the second McLaren, with Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) and Liam Lawson (Red Bull) completing the top 10.
Fears that the Madring would be a "car killer" did not materialize in the opening session. There was not a single crash or red flag during the hour. Leclerc came close at Turn 17 when he locked up and ran deep, while Hamilton had several close calls at the same corner.
Traffic also proved to be an issue. Several drivers were forced to back out of their laps after near-misses with rivals. Hamilton was involved in three incidents, including a near-miss with Williams driver Carlos Sainz through the banked, high-speed La Monumental corner. Fernando Alonso, who set the 15th-fastest time, stopped on track in his Aston Martin right at the end of FP1.
With this result, Mercedes sent a message that they are ready to compete in Madrid. However, with more sessions to come, the battle at this new track is sure to intensify.
Baca Juga
George Russell tercepat di FP1 F1 Spanyol 2026 di sirkuit Madring, memimpin Mercedes 1-2. Hamilton dan Leclerc tertinggal, Verstappen kelima.
George Russell memimpin FP1 F1 Madrid 2026, mengungguli rekan setimnya Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes mendominasi 1-2 di sesi latihan pertama di sirkuit Madring.
FIA buka peluang tim ke-12 F1, BYD diminta ajukan tawaran serius. Ben Sulayem tegaskan regulasi tetap, tidak ada perubahan demi pabrikan China.
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