George Russell tops cautious maiden F1 Spanish GP FP1

George Russell topped the timesheets in FP1 at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, as drivers attempted to gain an understanding of the Madring.

The drivers could not wait to get out for their first taste of the Madring at the F1 Spanish GP, with the two Haas drivers leading out the entire field into the unknown at F1’s newest circuit. Cadillac’s session did not get off to a good start, as Sergio Perez was told to box for a new steering wheel after just one lap.

Caution was the name of the game as the field made their way around the track for the first time, as the order dramatically changed with every lap. Gaps of over a second began to form when the likes of Antonelli, and Hamilton enjoyed stints at the top of the standings in the opening ten minutes.

Once the situation had stabilised, it was Hamilton who led the way from Antonelli by 0.345s, with the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc some 0.845s back from the lead Mercedes, with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris completing the top six.

With track evolution at dramatic levels as the grip improved across the session, reading into the lap times proved challenging. But at the halfway mark what did become clear was that Ferrari, at least in the current conditions, seemed to have pace around the Madring. Leclerc led Hamilton by 0.120s as F1 reached the halfway mark. Multiple drivers ran wide, as they explored the limits of the track, including Yuki Tsuonda who complained of a power issue that brought him back to the pits.

Tyres clouding the picture?

Tyre compounds further clouded trying to untangle the competitive order. Mercedes, with Russell leading with 15 minutes to go were on softs, but Ferrari, on the mediums, now seemed to have the measure of their rival. Russell extended his advantage to over half a second.

Leclerc attempted to respond, but locked up on his first soft tyre run, compromising his second attempt, leaving him six tenths of a second adrift of Russell. A slow-moving Esteban Ocon ruined Hamilton’s first run, leaving him unable to post a representative time after encountering the Haas at the exit of La Monumental.

Two teams notable in their absence from the front of the field were McLaren and Red Bull. Verstappen led this battle in fifth, Norris following in sixth. Their teammates, however were split by the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and the Audi of Hulkenberg, leaving them with substantial work to do before FP2. The two Mercedes led the pack as a result when the chequered flag fell, with Russell leading his teammate.

At the bottom end of the table, the two Cadillacs made up the back row, while both Williams, joined Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll as the drivers with the slowest laps after an hour of running.

While a few drivers made light contact with the barriers, caution paid off as no one suffered a high-speed impact, with yellow flags being deployed for only the briefest of moments as drivers ran wide. With a better understanding of the circuit under their belts, the drivers will likely push harder in FP2.

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