Madring debut brings split verdicts in Spain

Friday running at Formula 1’s new Madring brought mixed reactions, as George Russell topped FP1 and drivers weighed the risks before Spanish GP qualifying.

Formula 1’s first day of running at the new Madring in Madrid produced mixed early verdicts from the paddock. Autosport, Motorsport.com and RaceFans reported that George Russell set the pace in FP1, while Formula1.com said the Mercedes driver finished in the top five in both FP1 and FP2. Russell arrived at the Spanish Grand Prix second in the drivers’ championship on 201 points, and the Briton is a seven-time Grand Prix winner.

Formula1.com reported that Charles Leclerc said qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix looked set to be exciting after his first laps at Madring, while the same outlet said Max Verstappen felt Red Bull were still getting up to speed. BBC Sport reported that Russell described the circuit as very high risk after Arvid Lindblad crashed in Friday practice, and Autosport and Motorsport.com also reported concerns from drivers about the track’s difficulty and the chance of interruptions.

Across Friday, Formula1.com reported that teams used the sessions to learn the brand-new circuit rather than draw firm conclusions. The opening day therefore left a range of impressions, with Mercedes starting quickly on the timesheets and several drivers focusing on how demanding the new layout could be over the rest of the weekend.