Spanish GP FP2: Antonelli Leads Ferrari in Madrid

Kimi Antonelli made an immediate impression at Formula 1’s new Madrid venue by setting the fastest time in Spanish GP FP2, putting Mercedes at the front as the championship leader continued his strong run of form.

The Italian recorded a 1:33.662 around the new Madring circuit, edging Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in a closely fought second practice session. The result gave Mercedes another encouraging sign after George Russell had led the opening practice session earlier on Friday.

With the Spanish Grand Prix taking place at a brand-new venue, teams were still learning how their cars behaved on the unfamiliar circuit. That made FP2 particularly important because the session was held in conditions closer to those expected for qualifying.

Antonelli Sets the Pace in Madrid

Antonelli’s performance was the clearest positive for Mercedes at the end of Friday.

The championship leader has already established himself as the driver to beat in 2026, and his latest performance suggested that the new Madrid circuit may suit the Mercedes package.

The 20-year-old entered the weekend after producing one of the most remarkable victories of his young career at Monza. He started the Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid because of an engine penalty before fighting through the field to take victory.

That result extended his championship advantage and gave Mercedes another major boost.

Now, at the new Madring circuit, Antonelli immediately looks comfortable.

His FP2 benchmark was enough to put Ferrari behind him, although the margins were extremely small. Leclerc finished just 0.113 seconds slower, while Hamilton was 0.149 seconds off the Mercedes driver. U

Ferrari Provides the Biggest Challenge

Ferrari ended the afternoon with both cars near the top of the timesheets.

Leclerc’s second-place finish was particularly encouraging after a difficult Italian Grand Prix weekend. Hamilton followed in third, giving Ferrari two drivers within striking distance of Antonelli.

The result could be significant for the rest of the weekend.

The new Madrid circuit contains a mixture of slow corners, faster sections and demanding braking zones. Teams therefore need a car that can work across several different characteristics rather than being optimized for only one type of corner.

Ferrari appeared to have found a competitive balance.

However, Friday practice rarely tells the complete story. Fuel loads, engine modes and tyre strategies can create significant differences between teams, meaning Ferrari will need to maintain its pace during Saturday’s final practice and qualifying.

Lindblad Creates a Madrid Milestone

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad was another major talking point.

The young driver produced an impressive lap to move into fourth place, putting himself ahead of several established names. His performance was particularly notable because the Madring is a completely new challenge for the entire Formula 1 field.

Lindblad’s impressive afternoon eventually ended in the barriers.

He crashed at Turn 13, bringing out a red flag and becoming the first Formula 1 driver to suffer a major incident at the new Madrid circuit. The crash damaged his Racing Bulls, but Lindblad was able to walk away from the incident. 

The accident demonstrated how little margin for error there is around the new track.

Drivers are still searching for the limits, and the fresh surface means grip levels are evolving throughout the weekend.

Norris Loses Valuable Track Time

McLaren’s afternoon was less straightforward.

Lando Norris was unable to participate in FP2 because his McLaren required a gearbox change. That deprived the championship contender of valuable running on a circuit where every lap matters.

Oscar Piastri did take part, but McLaren’s true pace remained difficult to judge without both cars completing representative qualifying simulations.

Norris will now need to make up for lost time during Saturday’s final practice session.

That is not an ideal situation for a driver fighting for the championship, particularly with Mercedes and Ferrari already demonstrating strong one-lap speed.

Russell Starts the Weekend Strongly

Although Antonelli took the headlines in FP2, George Russell also provided Mercedes with plenty of encouragement.

Russell topped FP1 earlier on Friday, confirming that the team’s car appears well suited to the Madrid layout.

He finished the second session fifth, behind Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton and Lindblad.

That result still leaves Mercedes in a strong position heading into Saturday.

The team has now placed one driver at the top of each Friday practice session, suggesting that its baseline setup is working effectively.

The bigger question will be whether Mercedes can preserve that advantage when every driver turns up the engine and searches for the perfect qualifying lap.

Spanish Drivers Struggle on Home Ground

The first day was considerably more difficult for Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz.

Alonso finished 17th after completing only 16 laps, with Aston Martin encountering difficulties during the session. Sainz was 16th for Williams after completing 25 laps. 

Those results will disappoint the huge home crowd that has gathered for Madrid’s first Formula 1 weekend.

The situation is not necessarily hopeless, however.

The Madring is still a developing circuit, and the competitive order could change substantially once teams analyze Friday’s data and make setup adjustments.

Both Spanish drivers will have another opportunity in FP3 to close the gap before qualifying.

A New Circuit Already Produces Plenty of Drama

Madrid’s first Formula 1 weekend has already delivered an intriguing combination of speed, uncertainty and mistakes.

The Madring’s debut has been closely watched because teams entered the weekend with no previous race data from the circuit. That creates an unusual situation in modern F1, where simulation and historical information normally give engineers an extensive starting point.

The new track is located near Madrid’s IFEMA complex and Barajas airport. It combines permanent sections with a semi-urban setting and includes the heavily banked Turn 12, known as La Monumental.

The challenge is not simply learning the corners.

Teams must also understand tyre degradation, surface evolution, braking temperatures and how much performance can be extracted from the soft compound.

Early indications suggest that tyre management could become an important factor during Sunday’s race.

Qualifying Battle Could Be Extremely Close

Friday’s results suggest that the fight for pole position could involve several teams.

Antonelli currently has the advantage, but Leclerc and Hamilton are only fractions of a second behind.

Russell has already demonstrated Mercedes’ strength, while McLaren remains difficult to evaluate because Norris missed the afternoon session.

Verstappen and Red Bull are also expected to become more competitive as the weekend progresses.

That leaves Saturday’s qualifying session wide open.

For Antonelli, another strong performance would further strengthen his championship position. For Ferrari, the priority will be turning Friday’s pace into its first major result of the Madrid weekend.

Antonelli Has the Early Advantage

The first day at the Madring has produced one clear early favorite.

Antonelli has the fastest lap, Mercedes has shown consistent pace and Ferrari is close enough to threaten.

But there is still a long way to go.

Norris needs more track time. Lindblad must rebuild after his crash. Alonso and Sainz need to find additional performance, while Red Bull will be looking for improvements before qualifying.

The first Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid is already living up to its billing as a new chapter for Formula 1.

After topping FP2, Antonelli has made the opening statement.

Now the rest of the grid has one final practice session to respond.

Image ALT Text: Spanish GP FP2 Kimi Antonelli leads Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Madring

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