George Russell led the way during the first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix, clocking a time 0.286 seconds faster than his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. The duo secured the top two spots at the debut event held on the new street-circuit style track, which is situated around an exhibition centre near the capital’s airport.
Entering the weekend, Russell trails Antonelli by 66 points in the drivers’ championship. Before taking to the track, the British driver had expressed concerns regarding the layout, suggesting that the circuit “has less margin than Monaco.” He explained that while Monaco features closer walls, the lower speeds allow for more recovery time if a driver makes a small error or locks up. In contrast, he noted that the Madrid track features many high-speed corners where the barriers seem to angle toward the car, leaving little room for mistakes.
Despite these pre-session warnings, the opening practice ran without any major incidents. While several competitors, including Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, made contact with the walls, none of the drivers sustained damage to their vehicles. Russell’s performance marks a strong start for Mercedes as the sport visits this new venue for the first time. The report also notes that george Russell says Formula 1’s new circuit in Madrid “has less margin than Monaco” as the sport races there for the first time at the Spanish Grand Prix.
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