Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in Spanish Grand Prix first practice

George Russell posted the quickest lap of the first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the newly built Madring circuit, recording a 1:34.077 on soft tyres. His teammate Kimi Antonelli was second fastest with a 1:34.363, giving Mercedes a 1-2 for the opening session.

Lewis Hamilton initially set a 1:34.620 on medium tyres before improving to 1:34.620 on softs, but was overtaken by Russell and Antonelli. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third fastest at 1:34.536, while Hamilton fell to fourth. Max Verstappen rounded out the top five.

The session saw most drivers start on medium compounds before switching to softs. Several drivers, including Hamilton, Leclerc and Nico Hulkenberg, ran wide at Turn 17, prompting complaints from rivals about potential obstruction. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad was forced to retire with a power-steering failure.

Home driver Fernando Alonso finished 15th, ahead of his Aston Martin teammate and several midfield cars. The remainder of the field clustered in the 1:35.5 to 1:38.8 range.

"These same two guys, man! ... they’re just stupid, right in the fast corner! It’s actually very dangerous," a rookie driver was heard saying over team radio after an incident at La Monumental.

"He let me by in La Monumental," seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was reported to have been criticised by Carlos Sainz for impeding.

The results underline Mercedes’ strong start on the new track, while Ferrari and other contenders have yet to demonstrate comparable speed.