Mercedes dominates free practice at the Spanish GP in Madrid
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell take turns leading the first and second free practice sessions
The new Spanish Grand Prix circuit, located in Madrid, made headlines in recent hours as Mercedes took the top two positions in both free practice sessions held this Friday. The performance of the German cars has been the focus of attention ahead of Sunday's race.
First free practice: Russell leads the way for Mercedes
George Russell set the fastest lap of the first free practice with a 1m34.077s, beating compatriot Kimi Antonelli by 0.286 seconds. Both used soft tires to keep Mercedes at the top of the timesheets, while Ferrari followed closely behind, with Charles Leclerc in third and Lewis Hamilton in fourth.
Second free practice: Antonelli takes back the lead
In the second free practice, Italian Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, clocked the fastest time (1m33.662s) to finish ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi's Brazilian driver, finished in 13th place after fluctuating between 15th and 11th throughout the session.
Incidents and interventions
The session was red-flagged when Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad crashed at Turn 13, damaging the right side of the car. Despite the scare, the driver got out of the vehicle uninjured. On another occasion, McLaren's Oscar Piastri complained of discomfort in the cockpit, and Fernando Alonso clipped the wall, but none of these incidents prevented the practice from continuing.
Performance of the other teams
Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished in fifth position, followed by McLaren's Lando Norris, who completed the top six. Red Bull's Liam Lawson was among the top ten, replacing Isack Hadjar. Audi's Nico Hulkenberg used hard tires and finished ninth, while the Briton accused Hamilton of impeding his path at the last corner.
Expectations for Sunday's race
With Mercedes leading both free practice sessions, the team enters Sunday as favorites for the podium. The race will be broadcast live on TV Globo and sportv3, and the third free practice will be shown on sportv at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.
With information from ge, CNN Brasil.
Source: ge, CNN Brasil