Kimi Antonelli leads Spanish Grand Prix practice as Arvid Lindblad crashes

George Russell has explained his poor qualifying performance in Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix, having ended up a lowly sixth while Mercedes team-mate and title rival Kimi Antonelli took second. Russell set the pace in Q1 at Madrid’s new street circuit but failed to improve as significantly as his opponents in the next two segments. He was sixth-quickest, some three tenths down on his ...Keep reading

F1 qualifying to begin at 3pm BST in Madrid (4pm local) Welcome to the Madring | And follow us over on TikTok Kimi Antonelli does not need luck. Last year his promotion to the second seat at Mercedes looked premature and he was exposed on occasion, but he thoroughly absorbed every lesson and is a deserved leader of the title race. But fortune has favoured him too, whether indirectly – such as the catalogue of agonies suffered by his teammate George Russell, who would otherwise be far closer in the standings than 66 points – or directly, as was the case with a red flag and a virtual safety car in last Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, which enabled him to turn 19th place on the grid into a win. Antonelli does not hesitate to credit Toto Wolff and the rest of the Mercedes team, not just for producing the car. The biggest decision was promoting an 18-year-old into the seat for last season, but even in smaller ones they have been vindicated, such as choosing Monza, with its openings for overtaking, as the venue for Antonelli to take the penalties for utilising new power unit components. Russell observed the Madring was set to be an even sterner test than Monaco. “I would put this as a circuit that has less margin, purely because of the speed,” he said. “In Monaco the walls are closer but because you’re going slower – if you make a mistake you’re not into the wall as quickly, and you can recover it sometimes. It’s more lock-up. Here, there’s less margin.” The issue, explained Russell, was that the fast corners were combined with the angles of the barriers on exit. “You see at this barrier, it’s kind of like coming back on to the track,” he said, indicating where the smoking wreckage of Inthraphuvasak’s car was sitting. “So if you are to go wide and hit the wall, you’re not hitting it at the same angle as the car is going. The car is going towards the wall but the wall is sort of coming in.” Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari in final practice for the ⁠Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Formula One circuit on Saturday, bringing the ⁠session to a ⁠halt ​with just over half an hour remaining. The seven-times world champion locked up and went ⁠into the barriers at the final corner. He managed to reverse out and tried to get ⁠the damaged Ferrari back to the Madring pitlane, virtually ​a whole lap, while ‌ignoring team instructions ‌to stop. Continue reading...

Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli will head into qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix’s challenging Madring circuit with the fastest time - following a final practice session marred by two crashes. The Mercedes driver fended off advances by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to reclaim top spot after a lengthy stoppage during the middle of the practice session in Madrid. FP3 was halted ...Keep reading

George Russell was left trailing Kimi Antonelli in second practice for the Spanish Grand Prix -- as British rookie Arvid Lindblad crashed out at Formula 1's new "risky" and "car-killer" venue in Madrid.

Formula 1 heads into Saturday at Madring with Kimi Antonelli fastest after a tricky second practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix. The Mercedes championship leader pipped Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in FP2, with Lewis Hamilton third as drivers continued to build confidence around Madrid’s new Formula 1 venue. Arvid Lindblad was an eye-catching fourth for Racing Bulls before crashing at ...Keep reading

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fastest in the second practice for the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid on Friday. The Mercedes driver clocked the fastest time of 1 minute 33.

Kimi Antonelli has topped second practice at Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix, pipping Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on Friday afternoon at the new Madring circuit, while Arvid Lindblad crashed. Antonelli set the fastest lap around the halfway mark in the second one-hour session as drivers and teams kept chipping away at their set-ups on the extremely difficult circuit in Madrid. The 5.4km track ...Keep reading

Arvid Lindblad crashes his Racing Bulls in Friday practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, where Kimi Antonelli sets the fastest time.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli topped second practice at Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix, pipping Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on Friday afternoon at a hot and challenging Madring circuit. Antonelli set the fastest lap around the halfway mark in the second one-hour session as drivers and teams gradually kept chipping away at their set-ups on the extremely difficult circuit in Madrid. The 5.4km ...Keep reading

Kimi Antonelli topped FP2 in Madrid after Arvid Lindblad caused the new street circuit’s first Formula 1 red flag with a heavy crash at Turn 13 while trying to improve on his impressive fourth-place showing.

World championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fastest on Formula 1's first day of running at the Spanish Grand Prix's new Madrid circuit as the hugely challenging nature of the Madring was exhibited by a big crash for British rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Kimi Antonelli returned to the top of the timesheets in FP2 at the Madring, beating both Ferrari drivers to set the fastest lap.