George Russell led team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the opening practice session for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, as F1 made its first competitive visit to the all-new Madring in Madrid.

The Mercedes driver set a benchmark of 1:34.077, edging Antonelli by 0.286 seconds. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed for Ferrari, with championship leader Max Verstappen fifth for Oracle Red Bull Racing. Lando Norris was sixth, 0.870 seconds off the pace.

The session marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Spanish Grand Prix, with the 5.4-kilometre, 22-turn circuit around the IFEMA Madrid exhibition centre hosting its first Formula 1 action. Drivers and teams faced the challenge of learning a new track, with the opening running providing an initial opportunity to assess the circuit’s characteristics and the behaviour of the latest-generation cars.

All but Gabriel Bortoleto began on the Medium-compound Pirelli tyres, with the Audi driver using the hard compound. Early lap times improved rapidly as the track evolved, with Hamilton initially setting the pace before Leclerc moved Ferrari to the top of the order. Mercedes then switched to the Soft tyres, and Russell established himself among the leading runners.

Hamilton had earlier set the fastest time on the Medium tyres with a 1:34.620, while Leclerc and Antonelli also featured prominently at the sharp end. Russell’s first representative Soft-tyre effort was followed by a stronger lap, as the Mercedes driver combined competitive sector times to take the lead with a 1:34.145 before improving further to his final benchmark.

Antonelli completed the top two for Mercedes, 0.286 seconds behind his team-mate. Leclerc was third, a further 0.173 seconds away, with Hamilton fourth. However both Ferraris set their fastest times on Medium tyres. Verstappen finished fifth, 0.626 seconds off the pace, while Norris placed sixth ahead of Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad.

Oscar Piastri was eighth in the second McLaren, having completed 22 laps. The Australian reported something loose in his cockpit and returned to the pits for investigation. Liam Lawson was tenth for Red Bull Racing, just 0.010 seconds behind Nico Hülkenberg in ninth.

The session was completed without a red flag, although several drivers encountered the usual challenges of a new circuit, including traffic and evolving track conditions. The opening hour and a half also allowed teams to gather initial data on tyre performance and car balance across the Madring’s varied sequence of corners.

Carlos Sainz completed the most laps, with 30, while Valtteri Bottas was 22nd for Cadillac, 4.741 seconds behind Russell. There were problems, however, for Yuki Tusnoda and Fernando Alonso. 

Tsunoda reported a problem with the power steering of his Racing Bulls car midway through the session and returned to the pits for repairs that sidelined him for the remainder of the hour. Alonso, meanwhile, ground to a halt on track just after the chequered flag. 

2026 FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:34.077 28 207.174
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:34.363 0.286 27 206.547
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.536 0.459 27 206.169
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:34.620 0.543 27 205.986
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:34.703 0.626 25 205.805
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:34.947 0.870 27 205.276
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:35.033 0.956 28 205.090
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:35.148 1.071 22 204.842
9 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:35.529 1.452 26 204.026
10 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:35.539 1.462 26 204.004
11 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:35.652 1.575 27 203.763
12 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:35.834 1.757 25 203.376
13 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:35.933 1.856 24 203.166
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:36.244 2.167 23 202.510
15 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:36.473 2.396 27 202.029
16 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:36.853 2.776 24 201.236
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:36.870 2.793 30 201.201
18 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:36.939 2.862 16 201.058
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:37.254 3.177 26 200.407
20 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:37.591 3.514 25 199.715
21 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:38.150 4.073 26 198.577
22 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:38.818 4.741 25 197.235