2026 Spanish GP: Russell leads reported Madrid FP1

Autosport reported George Russell led the first F1 practice at Madrid, while BBC Sport said he later called the new circuit very high risk.

Autosport reported that George Russell set the pace in the first Formula 1 practice session at the new Madrid circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix. The outlet said Mercedes ended FP1 on top and that 20 of the 22 cars were on track within the first 100 seconds of the session.

BBC Sport reported that Russell later called the new circuit "very high risk" after Arvid Lindblad crashed in Friday practice. With the weekend still in its opening session, the reported order remained only an early snapshot.

Russell came into the round second in the 2026 drivers' championship on 211 points. The Mercedes driver has seven wins from 161 Formula 1 starts, giving added context to the reported benchmark in Madrid.