– The first Free Practice for the Spanish Grand Prix is over, and the brand-new Madrid circuit has passed its baptism of fire. After a spectacular fire accident in the first Formula 2 practice, the first session of the premier class Formula 1 went without any notable incidents. The best time was secured by George Russell (Mercedes) in 1:34.077 minutes.
Read more MotoGP Training Misano 2026: Marco Bezzecchi sets «Bez» time
Russell relegated his teammate Kimi Antonelli (+0.286), Lewis Hamilton (+0.543) and Charles Leclerc (both Ferrari/+0.606) to places 2 to 4. There were no major crashes, but minor excursions on the initially still dusty asphalt by Antonelli and Leclerc, among others. Both were able to avoid hitting the track limits.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) finished 5th with a 0.626-second deficit, followed by Lando Norris (McLaren), Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull), and Oscar Piastri (McLaren). Seven drivers were within one second at the end. The entire field was spread out by almost five seconds.
Somewhere in the middle, Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), the only German in the Formula 1 starting field, drove in 9th place. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) was 18th with problems in the power steering area.
The most delicate incident of the session occurred when Lindblad, on a fast lap in the steep curve La Monumental, caught up to the slow-moving cars of Antonelli in the Mercedes and Hamilton in the Ferrari. “Those two guys again, man!” the rookie complained over the radio. “I don’t know what they’re doing. They’re just stupid, right in the middle of the fast corner! That’s really very dangerous. This has already happened for the second time.”
Hamilton was subsequently involved in further obstructions, from which his teammate Leclerc and Hülkenberg suffered. Carlos Sainz (17th/Williams/+2.793) also complained about how the seven-time world champion let him pass in La Monumental.
On the topic:
Result: 1st Free Practice GP Spain, Madrid
F1 ticker: Paddock live with Ruben Zimmermann
Is a balance of power already emerging?
It is too early for that, at least according to Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies. He says in an interview with Sky: “At the moment, it looks like we will see the usual suspects at the front, with Mercedes and Ferrari. But of course, it is still very early this weekend.”
What is somewhat clearer, however, is what the engineers’ focus will be this weekend: “I think the tires are at the top of the list. It’s really tricky,” explains Mekies. “They overheat very quickly over the course of a lap, and at the same time, everyone is watching out for graining. So you are constantly moving between these two problems.”
By the way: Red Bull is again fielding Liam Lawson in the second car alongside Verstappen this weekend. Isack Hadjar is in Madrid but cannot drive yet due to his wrist injury. “The decision was simple,” says Mekies and explains: “Isack didn’t feel like he was at 100 percent.”
“We have always said that our priority is for him to come back at 100 percent. It makes no sense to send him to a track like this if he doesn’t feel good and thereby possibly delay his full recovery. That was the basis of our assessment. We have a bit more time until Baku.”
Regarding Hadjar’s recovery, there is “absolutely no problem. It is progressing according to plan. Some things just take time, and we will take that time to assess him beforehand. But we also have to put him in the simulator for that,” says Mekies.
Read more MotoGP live ticker Misano: Bezzecchi just ahead of Marc Marquez on Friday
How is the new Madrid circuit received?
When the first driving images from Madrid were broadcast live on German TV at exactly 1:30 p.m., many fans saw the track for the first time. An aha effect like in 2008, when the first night Grand Prix was held in Singapore, was missing. Nevertheless, for example, ORF commentator Ernst Hausleitner said with a wink: “I would have imagined it uglier.”
Hausleitner’s co-expert, Alexander Wurz, then described his first impressions as follows: “From turn 5 to turn 17, the track layout is very nice in some sections. Because of the ups and downs, and because of this steep wall corner. Really cool. It has a bit of an old-school touch – translated into modern. That’s cool, that’s good, the first part of the track.”
But Wurz also voices criticism: “The last part of the track is then rather a bit 90-degree boring,” he says, and: “When I look at this concrete channel, I would eventually no longer know which street circuit I am on. Am I in Australia, am I in Valencia, am I here in Madrid, where am I? Or in Jeddah? They all look the same. That means I don’t represent my host city that cool. There’s a lot that could be done there.”
Wurz, who also works as a race track designer, explains that he likes the basic concept of the Madrid circuit: “We are in a global metropolis, Formula 1 is attracting, that’s cool. As a race track designer, I also find the challenge of combining exhibition grounds, race track, football stadium, whatever it is, exciting. That’s the future. You can achieve many multifunctional uses.”
Whether the racing itself will be exciting is, in his view, marked with a question mark, because: “This race track is not energy-hungry, but energy-saturated. That means there won’t be yo-yo racing. You have enough corners and braking distance to recharge energy. Accordingly, there will also be few energy-assisted overtaking maneuvers.”
“You have to overtake naturally like in Zandvoort somehow. The straights are all relatively short. The only section 4-5, where you say, you would have a top speed of 340 – but you brake very long around the corner. So it’s just too easy to defend. But we will see what race day brings. You really can’t predict it,” says Wurz.
Formula 1 Madrid schedule: What’s next?
Madrid is the last race weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship on European soil. Afterwards, the season continues with round 15 at the street circuit in Baku (Azerbaijan). The last two season races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still officially on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar but are uncertain due to the military situation in the Middle East.
The Spanish Grand Prix continues on Friday afternoon with the second Free Practice (from 5:00 p.m. CEST). The first sporting decision is made in qualifying on Saturday, which starts at 4:00 p.m. CEST. The race in Madrid starts on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CEST.
The race weekend will be broadcast live on Sky (Germany), ORF (Austria), and SRF (Switzerland) (Here is the complete TV overview for Formula 1 in Madrid!).
Fans can follow the usual Formula 1 live streams on Saturday and Sunday evening on the YouTube channel of Formel1.de. With a summary of the events and analyses well beyond the end of the TV broadcasts. Host Kevin Scheuren presents the streams again with editor-in-chief Christian Nimmervoll as expert.
The provisional start time of the live streams on Saturday and Sunday is set for 9:00 p.m. CEST.
Read more NLS presents 2027 race calendar with eight races on the Nordschleife
