Kimi Antonelli walked into Madrid already in control of the world championship. By the end of Friday, he’d taken command of its brand-new circuit as well.
On Formula 1’s first day at the Madring, the Mercedes rookie topped the times with a 1:33.662 in Practice Two, underlining why the rest of the grid is chasing him and not the other way around. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed, both just over a tenth back, as Ferrari and Mercedes traded blows around a track that punished even the smallest lapse in judgement.
The Madring had been billed as brutal. It lived up to the hype.
Antonelli sets the pace, again
Antonelli had been shaded by George Russell in first practice, but the balance shifted once the second session settled into its rhythm. With qualifying simulations underway, the Italian stitched together a lap that looked as confident as his season-long body of work: committed on turn-in, aggressive over the kerbs, and utterly unfazed by the walls looming on corner exit.
He arrives in Spain with his confidence already soaring after that outrageous comeback win at Monza, where he charged from 19th on the grid to victory and opened up a 66-point cushion over Russell with 10 rounds of the 2026 season still to run. Friday in Madrid did nothing to slow the momentum. If anything, it added another layer of inevitability to his title push.
Behind him, Ferrari looked sharp. Leclerc and Hamilton both found speed quickly on a layout no one in F1 had raced before, hinting at a genuine three-way fight for pole between Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton when qualifying arrives on Saturday. The Spanish capital, hosting F1 for the first time since 1981, now has the prospect of a heavyweight shootout to christen its new arena.
Madring bites as Lindblad crashes out
For all the talk during the week, the circuit’s true character only revealed itself at speed. Tight, technical, and lined with barriers, the Madring leaves almost no room for error. Predictions of constant red flags hung over the paddock.
F2 and F3 delivered on that expectation, both series suffering multiple crashes and stoppages. The F1 field initially rose above the chaos, negotiating first practice without major drama as the sport’s elite adapted with impressive composure.
Then Arvid Lindblad overstepped the limit.
The 19-year-old British rookie had been one of the quiet revelations of the day, driving with authority and rhythm. He had just vaulted to fourth on the timesheets in Practice Two when he pushed a fraction too far on his next flying lap. At Turn 13, the car snapped away, and Lindblad spun into the barriers at high speed.
The impact triggered a red flag and a delay of just over 10 minutes, freezing the order and, crucially, locking in Antonelli’s P1 as most teams had their qualifying runs interrupted. It was a harsh lesson in how unforgiving this new track will be over a full race distance.
Russell searches, Verstappen and McLaren chase
Russell, who had led the way earlier in the day, could not quite unlock the same performance in the afternoon. Mercedes experimented, and the car drifted away from its sweet spot.
“FP1 was a strong session. FP2 we made some setup changes which weren't quite as good, so we will probably revert back on that. So far so good,” Russell said afterwards, summing up a day that promised more than the times ultimately showed. He still ended up fifth, just ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, but the gap to Antonelli will concern him.
Verstappen, stuck in the pack on the timesheet, never looked entirely at ease. The Madring’s stop-start nature and punishing walls demand total confidence; Red Bull didn’t seem to have it yet.
McLaren, tipped to be a major factor this weekend after Lando Norris’ back-to-back wins before Antonelli’s Monza masterclass, endured an even more frustrating day.
Norris on the back foot
Norris’ session barely started. A gearbox failure sidelined the reigning world champion after just two laps, leaving him without a representative time and, more importantly, without the crucial long-run and qualifying data everyone else banked on a brand-new track.
On a layout where knowledge of the lines, bumps and braking markers will be vital, losing an entire session is a heavy blow. Norris has generally had the edge over Piastri in recent races, but the Australian at least completed his programme and logged valuable mileage. On Saturday, Norris will be chasing not only the clock but also his own lack of track time.
For a driver in the thick of the title fight, that’s a dangerous handicap.
A city ready for a fight at the front
As the sun dipped over Madrid, the storylines hardened into shape. Antonelli, the championship leader, looks as though he’s brought his Monza form with him. Ferrari have the pace to spoil Mercedes’ party. Russell needs to reset overnight. Verstappen and Red Bull must find answers. Norris has to play catch-up on a circuit that won’t forgive hesitation.
The Madring has already claimed its first big mistake and announced itself as a circuit that rewards bravery and punishes optimism on the throttle.
Qualifying will ask one simple question: who dares to get closest to the walls without crossing the line?
