2026 F1 Spanish GP FP1 – Highlights and Reaction

Formula 1 breaks new ground in Madrid this weekend as the Spanish GP makes its debut at the Madring, with FP1 offering the first real look at how the 2026 cars behave around the brand-new circuit. The opening session begins at 13:30 local time and carries unusual importance because every team arrives without historical Formula 1 data to fall back on.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli comes into Madrid with his advantage strengthened after a remarkable victory from 19th on the grid at Monza for Mercedes. Antonelli now leads teammate George Russell by 66 points as the season enters another potentially significant weekend.

Behind them, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be looking for a response for Ferrari after a frustrating home race in Italy. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will also hope the unfamiliar Madrid layout provides another opportunity for McLaren to challenge at the front.

2026 F1 Spanish GP FP1 LIVE: Latest Updates

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RESULTS: Russell tops FP1

George Russell topped the first Formula 1 practice session ever held at Madrid’s new Madring circuit as Mercedes opened the 2026 Spanish GP with a one-two.

Russell set a 1:34.077 during a rapidly evolving FP1 session, finishing 0.286 seconds clear of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, 0.459s away from the benchmark.

Lewis Hamilton was in fourth and Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull.

Pos	Driver	Team	Time
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1:34.077
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.286
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.459
4	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.543
5	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.626
6	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.870
7	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+0.956
8	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.071
9	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.452
10	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.462
11	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.575
12	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.680
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.757
14	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.856
15	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.396
16	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+2.680
17	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2.793
18	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+2.862
19	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.177
20	Alexander Albon	Williams	+3.514
21	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.073
22	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+4.741

CHEQUERED FLAG: Free Practice 1 ends in Spain

For all of Toto Wolff’s fears that the Madring could suit McLaren and Ferrari, George Russell tops Free Practice 1 for Mercedes ahead of Kimi Antonelli.

The Brit delivered a 1:34.077 on the soft tyres to lead his teammate by just under three tenths, with Charles Leclerc in third for the Scuderia but half-a-second behind.

Lewis Hamilton slotted into fourth and didn’t use the soft tyre for his best time, with the Scuderia struggling to get the red-walled wheels to work properly.

2 minutes to go: Brief yellow flags thrown

To be fair, it’s been a very clean session as a couple of yellow flags are thrown as Turn 12 but the reason for them is not immediately clear at the Madring.

What was described as a “car killer” by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen hasn’t had any serious incidents beyond drivers getting in each other’s ways or skipping over the kerbs.

Of course, it is only Free Practice 1 so there is still some margin left to find the limit.

9 minutes to go: Mercedes make it a Silver Arrows 1-2

Kimi Antonelli is now second for Mercedes as the 20-year-old Italian slots in behind George Russell’s 1:34.077, sitting 0.286s back on the softs.

Ferrari are struggling to find the pace to improve and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is back into the pits with an issue in his footwell, reporting something keeps hitting his feet.

And Fernando Alonso tagged the wall at Turn 8 for Aston Martin with his car steering too much on the entry and clipping the inside of the barriers with the front-left. No harm done though.

12 minutes to go: Ferrari struggling as Russell improves again!

Ferrari have put the soft tyres on but they haven’t taken the jump that people would expect as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lock-up at Turn 17.

George Russell has gone faster once again for Mercedes, now delivering a 1:34.077 to mean Ferrari are now over half-a-second off the pace in Madrid.

Have the Silver Arrows finally woken up?

15 minutes to go: George Russell is now the man to beat!

Charles Leclerc has a go on the soft tyres but is unable to improve on his time on his first flying lap, whilst Lewis Hamilton is now on the softs for Ferrari.

This is a big moment for the Scuderia as they look to assess their qualifying pace relative on the most important tyre for that session on Saturday.

Particularly as George Russell has just gone to the top of the times for Mercedes by delivering a 1:34.145 to move clear by around half-a-second.

Pos	Driver	Team	Gap
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1:34.145
2	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.475
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.538
4	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.538
5	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.890
6	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.003
7	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.394
8	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.510
9	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+1.749
10	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.765
11	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.994
12	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+2.794
13	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+3.062
14	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+3.123
15	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+3.593
16	Alexander Albon	Williams	+3.735
17	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.865
18	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+4.144
19	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+4.253
20	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.420
21	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+4.869
22	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+6.218

19 minutes to go: Kimi Antonelli narrows in

Kimi Antonelli now closes in on the Ferrari pair on the soft tyre as he ties Charles Leclerc’s time with a 1:34.683 to sit 0.063 behind Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes is running the soft tyres to be fair so it would be expected that Ferrari will take a jump if/when they also put the set on.

But for now, that’s more like it for the Silver Arrows.

22 minutes to go: Steering issue for Tsunoda!

Yuki Tsunoda abandoned what looked to be developing into a good lap for the Racing Bulls stand-in driver at the Madring, as he reports an issue on his car.

The Japanese driver says his steering column has failed and he is quickly told to come back into the pits to check things over.

He’s running 12th at the moment.

27 minutes to go: Hamilton and Leclerc almost collide

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc almost collide as the latter comes across his teammate going slowly into one of the chicanes before a dip under a tunnel.

Leclerc carries on his way but warns Ferrari to make sure his teammate is aware of cars approaching behind, otherwise that could have been a messy incident.

All is well for now and they maintain their 1-2.

30 minutes to go: Hamilton quickest again

Lewis Hamilton is now quickest once again for Ferrari ahead of Charles Leclerc, but now the gap between the pair has clearly closed at the Madring.

The 41-year-old’s 1:34.620 shows him just 0.063 ahead of his 28-year-old colleague from Monaco, with the Scuderia emerging as the team to beat so far.

The duo are a few tenths clear of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, but the Italian is on the soft tyres and Ferrari are yet to run it!

Pos	Driver	Team	Gap
1	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:34.620
2	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.063
3	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.245
4	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.071
5	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+1.274
6	George Russell	Mercedes	+1.461
7	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.466
8	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.471
9	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.519
10	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.615
11	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+2.319
12	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+2.353
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+3.081
14	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+3.118
15	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.390
16	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+3.421
17	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+3.669
18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.778
19	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.380
20	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+4.394
21	Alexander Albon	Williams	+4.795
22	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+6.312

35 minutes to go: Hamilton in Lindblad’s way

Arvid Lindblad is on a fast lap as he approaches the flowing Turn 12 sequence dubbed La Monumental and happens across two cars going slowly.

The 19-year-old Racing Bulls rookie driver finds Lewis Hamilton going slowly on the right for Ferrari and the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli on the left.

With no way through, he abandons his lap and settles for complaining over the radio.

37 minutes to go: Leclerc finally gets ahead of Hamilton

Charles Leclerc is now the quickest Ferrari for the first time at the Madring as the 28-year-old Monegasque moves to sit 0.120s ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

His 1:34.683 leaves him 0.465 ahead of the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, who has slotted into third and nudged ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Ferrari are looking good at the moment!

42 minutes to go: Verstappen closes in on Ferrari

Max Verstappen closes in on Ferrari at the moment as the Red Bull driver moves to sit just 0.331 behind Lewis Hamilton’s time-topping effort and 0.226 behind Charles Leclerc’s time.

Hamilton has actually just had to abandon his lap due to the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto going slowly after the Brazilian clipped the kerb on the entry to a chicane and bailed out.

Nico Hulkenberg narrowly avoids running into the wall as both Audi cars find themselves in the wars and Kimi Antonelli has a big lock-up for Mercedes but continues on with only his pride damaged.

45 minutes to go: Ferrari blitzes the times

Is the filming day Ferrari managed to acquire in July paying dividends to the Scuderia at the Madring as Lewis Hamilton sits 1.1 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen in third?

Charles Leclerc has slotted into second in the sister SF-26 meaning it’s currently a 1-2 for the Scuderia in Free Practice 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Alpine currently have no time on the board, and their drivers are still in the garage – but there doesn’t seem to be too much concern at the moment – perhaps saving tyres.

Pos	Driver	Team	Time
1	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:35.563
2	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.105
3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+1.120
4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.124
5	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.270
6	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+1.280
7	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.634
8	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.947
9	George Russell	Mercedes	+2.324
10	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+2.586
11	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+3.465
12	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.812
13	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+4.031
14	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+4.127
15	Alexander Albon	Williams	+4.561
16	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+4.599
17	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+5.279
18	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+5.292
19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+5.943
20	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+8.773
21	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	No Time
22	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	No Time

50 minutes to go: Hamilton delivers a 1:36.066

Lewis Hamilton delivers a very strong lap for Ferrari as the seven-time Formula 1 world champion goes to the top of the order by a long way with a 1:36.066!

Lando Norris now slots into second for McLaren and he is 1.185 seconds behind the 41-year-old, whilst Kimi Antonelli is in third and 1.228 seconds behind for Mercedes!

Ferrari have a very good chance to win this weekend – can they deliver?

52 minutes to go: Antonelli smashes the times

Kimi Antonelli delivers a 1:37.294 on his first flying lap to clear Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.776 at the Madring, although these are still very early days.

Lewis Hamilton is currently picking up the pace for Ferrari and that’s to be expected, after the team secured a filming day at the new Spanish circuit.

They will have more data than the rest at the moment!

56 minutes to go: Box box for Perez

Sergio Perez is told to come into the pit lane for Cadillac for a steering wheel change as reliability problems continue affecting the new Formula 1 team.

George Russell comes through to complete his first lap of the Circuito de Madring for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen also on laps too.

The track is ramping up!

GREEN FLAG: Spanish Grand Prix weekend begins!

The Haas are the first cars out of the garage as Esteban Ocon becomes the fourth driver to take to the Madring, with the Mercedes of George Russell close behind.

This is an important hour for the teams to learn the new circuit but also for the drivers to understand how the new home of the Spanish GP works.

Understanding the racing lines is key but so is correctly judging the bumps and kerbs too.

Who will be fastest?

Watch out for La Monumental

La Monumental is one of the most intriguing features of the Madring, with its huge banking giving the circuit a distinctive character thanks to the speed and commitment it demands.

Drivers approach the long, sweeping corner before climbing onto the banking, with the elevation allowing them to carry significant speed while the car is loaded laterally. Unlike a conventional slow hairpin, it is designed to create a sustained, high-speed challenge.

Its name comes from Madrid’s historic Monumental de Las Ventas bullring, and the circuit deliberately uses the section’s proximity to the venue as part of its identity. For fans, it could become one of the most visually striking parts of the Spanish GP.

For the drivers, however, the appeal comes with risk. The banking encourages high speeds, while the surrounding barriers leave little room for a major error.

That combination makes La Monumental potentially one of the defining corners of the Madring — spectacular when it works, but unforgiving when it doesn’t.

Is Madring too dangerous for Formula 1?

The Madring has already raised questions over whether its narrow margins are suitable for Formula 1 after a Formula 3 test produced some 19 red flags.

Drivers struggled with blind corners, high-speed sections and walls close to the racing line and George Russell admitted the number of incidents initially sounded exaggerated before simulator running convinced him otherwise.

Then earlier on Friday came a major Formula 2 crash involving Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak at Turn 19, where his car caught fire, provided another warning.

The circuit is FIA Grade 1 approved, so it is officially not deemed too dangerous – but its first F1 weekend will test whether its challenge is sporting or excessively unforgiving.

How seriously should you take the Free Practice 1 lap times?

Whilst lap times set throughout Free Practice 1 will will offer an early picture as to the competitive order, the FP1 timesheet can be misleading.

A driver at the top of FP1 may have been running low fuel or a particularly soft tyre, while another team could be concentrating entirely on long-run data. Teams also have different engine modes and run programmes.

The most valuable information from FP1 is therefore often hidden behind the headline lap times – especially for a brand-new circuit such as the Madring.

FP1 is particularly important because teams have no previous Formula 1 race data from which to work, so check to see which cars have the best balance and which drivers look to be the most comfortable.

How does Free Practice 1 work?

Free Practice 1 (FP1) is the first official on-track session of a Grand Prix weekend. It gives teams and drivers their first opportunity to learn how the car behaves at that circuit and in the prevailing conditions.

Drivers normally begin with installation or short runs, checking systems and gathering baseline data. Some teams may use harder tyres for longer runs.

Teams usually begin more structured testing. They may compare setup changes, tyre compounds and aerodynamic configurations while drivers work on understanding the circuit.

Some drivers switch to the softer tyre compounds and run lower-fuel qualifying simulations. Others concentrate on longer runs to understand race pace and tyre degradation.

Welcome to the Blog!

It’s time for Formula 1 to tackle a new venue in Free Practice 1 as the drivers take to the Madring, which is already gaining quite a fearsome reputation!

The circuit, located in Madrid, is known for its high-speed corners that are taken flat out and blind, whilst walls punish any drivers who make an error.

A Formula 3 test saw drivers crash 19 time – a number George Russell thinks should have been higher!

How will the F1 boys do?

Formula 1 discovers the Madring for the first time

The biggest unknown heading into FP1 is the circuit itself, with Madring hosting Formula 1 machinery for the first time this weekend. The 5.4km semi-permanent layout combines public roads around the IFEMA exhibition centre with purpose-built sections and features 22 corners.

Drivers have spent considerable time preparing in simulators, but the first laps of FP1 will immediately reveal how closely those models match reality. Braking points, bumps, kerb behaviour, wind direction and the amount of grip available from the new asphalt are all factors that can only truly be understood once the cars are on track.

One of the circuit’s defining sections is Turn 12, known as La Monumental, which features significant banking and is expected to become one of the most recognisable corners on the calendar. Drivers will need to build confidence gradually through the long corner before discovering how aggressively they can attack it later in the weekend.

Track evolution should also be substantial during Friday because Formula 1 cars have never previously laid rubber around the circuit. That means lap times from the opening part of FP1 may become irrelevant very quickly as grip improves.

Antonelli arrives in Madrid after stunning Monza comeback

Antonelli could hardly have arrived at Spain’s new Grand Prix with more momentum after turning what looked like a damage-limitation weekend at Monza into one of the victories of his young career. The Italian started 19th after taking a power-unit penalty but charged through the field to claim his seventh win of the season.

That result stretched Antonelli’s championship advantage over Russell to 66 points at a stage of the season when every missed opportunity is becoming increasingly costly for his rivals. Madring now presents a completely different challenge, with even the championship leader starting Friday without any established reference points.

Mercedes will therefore place enormous value on clean mileage during the opening hour rather than simply chasing the fastest lap. Aerodynamic correlation, tyre behaviour and understanding how the car reacts to Madring’s unusual combination of corners will matter more than the early headline times.

The new venue could also compress the competitive order because no team has years of setup knowledge to rely upon. Whoever understands the circuit fastest may gain an advantage that lasts throughout the weekend.

Russell needs response as title gap grows

Russell arrives in Madrid knowing Monza represented a major missed opportunity in the championship battle. He started near the front while Antonelli was relegated towards the back, yet still watched his teammate recover to win and increase the points gap.

That result leaves Russell needing to begin taking meaningful points out of Antonelli if he wants to prevent the title fight moving increasingly towards his teammate. A completely new circuit at least gives him an opportunity to reset and establish himself immediately.

FP1 will test how quickly Russell can find confidence around a layout where nobody has previous Formula 1 experience. Drivers who identify braking references and the quickest lines earlier than their rivals could gain valuable time before FP2.

Mercedes also need both drivers providing clear and consistent feedback because simulator assumptions may need to be adjusted rapidly. The opening practice session will therefore be as much about engineering accuracy as outright driver speed.

Ferrari look for response after difficult Italian GP

Ferrari arrive in Madrid needing to convert promising pace into a stronger result after leaving Monza disappointed. Leclerc and Hamilton both showed front-running speed across practice in Italy, but neither was able to deliver the home victory the Tifosi had hoped for.

The Madring gives the Scuderia an entirely different technical test, with its mixture of fast sections, slower corners and heavy braking zones demanding a more rounded package. New asphalt and limited knowledge of tyre behaviour also remove some of the advantages teams normally carry into established venues.

Hamilton remains one of Antonelli’s closest championship challengers and needs to begin reducing the gap before the final phase of the season. His ability to adapt quickly to unfamiliar conditions could make Friday particularly important.

Leclerc has also demonstrated strong qualifying pace at several circuits this season and should be among the drivers closely watched once teams begin lower-fuel runs. FP1, however, is likely to be more about building a reliable setup foundation than producing representative one-lap times.

McLaren aim to continue second-half progress

McLaren have become an increasingly serious threat during the second half of the season, with Norris winning in Hungary and the Netherlands before finishing fourth at Monza. Those performances have underlined how much progress the team has made with the MCL40 since the opening races.

Madring’s variety of corner speeds could suit a car that has become increasingly strong in changing aerodynamic conditions. However, the circuit’s unknown grip levels and new surface may expose weaknesses that simulator work has not predicted.

Norris and Piastri will therefore spend the first part of FP1 learning how aggressively they can use the kerbs and how much confidence the car provides through La Monumental. Long-run work will also be valuable because there is no previous tyre degradation data available from Madrid.

Any red flag or reliability problem would be particularly costly at a new circuit. Losing even 15 or 20 minutes of running could leave a team playing catch-up for the rest of Friday.

Verstappen and Red Bull face fresh test

Max Verstappen arrives in Madrid after finishing third at Monza for Red Bull Racing. The Dutchman has remained capable of fighting near the front, but the RB22’s competitiveness has varied considerably depending on circuit characteristics.

Madring could therefore provide another revealing test of the Red Bull Racing package. Its combination of banking, fast direction changes and slower technical corners should expose both the strengths and weaknesses of the car within a single lap.

Verstappen will also continue alongside Liam Lawson, who remains with the senior team while Isack Hadjar recovers from his wrist injury. Lawson has now had several weekends to readjust to Red Bull Racing, which should make his Friday programme more straightforward than his first stand-in appearance.

The fact that Madring is new to everyone also reduces one of the usual disadvantages facing replacement drivers. Lawson begins with no less circuit experience than Verstappen or any other member of the grid.

Sainz begins emotional Madrid home weekend

Carlos Sainz will be one of the central figures throughout the weekend as the Madrid-born driver competes in a Formula 1 Grand Prix in his home city for the first time. The significance of the occasion is obvious, although the immediate task for Williams remains entirely technical.

Sainz and Alex Albon need to understand whether the circuit’s characteristics suit the Williams package and how much straight-line efficiency matters relative to downforce. Friday’s first hour will therefore be dominated by correlation work and setup comparisons.

Home support could make this one of the most memorable weekends of Sainz’s career if the car proves competitive. Before any of that becomes relevant, however, he needs to build knowledge of the circuit at the same pace as the rest of the field.

The crowd will undoubtedly follow his first laps particularly closely. His feedback could also become important for Williams because he has been closely associated with the arrival of the Madrid event.

Alonso takes on another Spanish home race

Fernando Alonso will also carry significant home interest as Aston Martin continue trying to build on the progress shown since their major mid-season upgrades. Despite his enormous experience, even Alonso starts Friday without any Formula 1 racing history around Madring.

That places a premium on his ability to identify grip levels and understand changing track conditions quickly. Experienced drivers can often recognise where lap time is available earlier than younger rivals, even when the venue itself is unfamiliar.

Aston Martin have shown occasional flashes of stronger performance in recent races without establishing consistent front-running pace. Madring should provide another useful indication of whether the team’s development direction is delivering broader improvements.

The opening hour will therefore be particularly important for comparing simulator predictions with the behaviour of the real car. Engineers will want clean data rather than a disrupted session dominated by mistakes or stoppages.

New asphalt could transform throughout FP1

Fresh asphalt is expected to make track evolution one of Friday’s biggest themes. Grip should improve rapidly once the cars begin laying rubber, meaning drivers running at different points in the session may be competing on substantially different surfaces.

That makes interpreting the timesheets difficult. A quicker lap may reflect improved circuit conditions rather than a genuine setup gain.

Teams will also monitor the surface for unexpected bumps or areas where grip differs significantly from simulation predictions. Even small irregularities can alter ride-height choices and suspension settings under the current generation of Formula 1 cars.

The relatively smooth new surface could potentially allow engineers to run the cars lower than at rougher circuits. Whether that proves practical will depend on how aggressively drivers need to attack Madring’s kerbs.

La Monumental provides FP1’s biggest curiosity

La Monumental is likely to attract more attention than any other part of the lap during the opening session. The long banked Turn 12 creates unusual vertical forces and could offer several viable racing lines depending on grip and tyre condition.

Drivers are unlikely to attack it at maximum commitment immediately. Instead, the opening laps should show them gradually increasing speed as they understand how much support the banking provides.

Tyre behaviour through the corner will also be closely monitored. Sustained loading could create temperature or wear patterns that teams have not been able to reproduce perfectly through simulation.

The quickest line may also change as the circuit rubbers in. What works during the opening minutes of FP1 may not remain optimal by Sunday.

Hot Madrid conditions add another unknown

Friday is expected to remain dry and warm, with air temperatures potentially approaching 30C during the afternoon. Track temperatures could climb much higher, adding another variable to a weekend already filled with unknowns.

Teams have no real-world degradation history from Madring, making long runs particularly valuable. Engineers need to understand how quickly the tyres lose performance and whether overheating becomes a problem during sustained running.

Those findings will influence more than Sunday’s strategy. They could also shape tyre preparation for Qualifying, particularly if the track surface generates or retains heat differently from expectations.

Cooling requirements will also be assessed closely during the first session. A new circuit always carries uncertainty over how much airflow the cars receive through different parts of the lap.

What to watch in Spanish GP FP1

• Antonelli’s first session after his remarkable Italian GP victory
• Mercedes’ initial pace at the brand-new Madring
• Russell’s response with the championship gap at 66 points
• Hamilton and Leclerc’s early performance for Ferrari
• Norris and Piastri’s pace for the improving McLaren
• Verstappen’s first impressions of the new Madrid circuit
• Lawson’s latest session with Red Bull Racing
• Sainz’s first Formula 1 laps at his home Madrid Grand Prix
• Alonso’s opening programme for Aston Martin
• Drivers’ first attempts through La Monumental
• Grip levels on the completely new asphalt
• Track evolution throughout the opening hour
• Aerodynamic correlation between simulation and real-world running
• Braking references around the unfamiliar layout
• Tyre behaviour in the warm Madrid conditions
• Kerb usage through the slower sections
• Energy deployment around the 5.4km circuit
• Traffic management as drivers learn the new layout

FP1 begins at 13:30 local time, with FP2 following later on Friday at 17:00. Those two sessions will provide the first genuine evidence of whether months of simulator preparation have accurately predicted what Formula 1’s newest circuit will demand.

With Antonelli defending a 66-point championship advantage and every driver starting the weekend without established Madring experience, the first practice session should be about much more than simply setting the fastest time. Stay with Total-Motorsport.com for live lap times, technical updates, tyre information, driver feedback and all the key moments from FP1 at the 2026 F1 Spanish GP.