British driver George Russell topped the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix as part of the Formula 1 World Championship yesterday, Friday, finishing ahead of his Mercedes teammate and championship leader, Italian Kimi Antonelli.
The Briton, who trails Antonelli by 66 points in second place in the world championship standings, recorded a best time of 1 minute and 34.077 seconds, outpacing the 20-year-old Italian driver by 0.286 seconds in a clean opening session on the new and challenging "Madring" circuit, which Russell has already described as the "most dangerous circuit of the season."
Russell said before the session began: "In Monaco, the walls are closer, but because you are going much slower, if you make a mistake, you won't hit the wall with the same speed, and you can sometimes recover, like a slight wheel lock-up."
He added: "There are a lot of very fast corners, but the barrier seems to lean back into the track. So, if you go off track and hit the wall, you won't hit it at the same angle the car is traveling. It feels like the wall is coming towards you."
Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc of Monaco and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain, finished third and fourth, ahead of four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, British McLaren driver and defending champion Lando Norris, and Racing Bulls rookie, Briton Arvid Lindblad.
Australian Oscar Piastri finished eighth in the second McLaren, ahead of German Audi driver Nico Hülkenberg and New Zealander Liam Lawson in the second Red Bull car.
Despite many expectations of red flags and accidents, the drivers showed a great deal of respect for the high-risk circuit, driving with professionalism and caution as they gradually began to learn the track before increasing the level of risk and speed.
A major accident during a Formula 2 race held earlier, which saw Thai driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak emerge safely from his burning car, served as a clear warning of the dangers awaiting the drivers.
