Russell tops first practice session at Madring as Mercedes leads the Ferraris

George Russell led the first-ever free practice session at the Madring circuit with a time of 1:34.077. Kimi Antonelli followed in second, while Charles Leclerc secured the top three spot in Spain. Lewis Hamilton came in fourth, just behind Leclerc, while Max Verstappen rounded out the top five, trailing Russell by more than six-tenths of a second.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top ten, with Norris finishing sixth and Piastri eighth. The race was notable for its lack of crashes or yellow flags, though there were instances of impeding. As drivers were eager to experience the track for the first time, most had not driven Madring before. During the initial laps, medium tyres were utilized, with Gabriel Bortoleto opting for the harder compound.

Hamilton took the lead in the first ten minutes, followed by Leclerc and Norris. After 40 minutes, Hamilton improved his time to 1:34.8, while Leclerc followed with a 1:34.6, with all teams except the Audis continuing to set fast laps on medium tyres. Mercedes drivers and Liam Lawson were the first to switch to soft tyres halfway through the session, with more following suit.

Russell took the lead at the 20-minute mark, setting a new fastest lap of 1:34.0, which no one could surpass.