NEWS
Formula 1: Russell clearly ahead in first Madrid practice
The 28-year-old adapts best to the new track in Madrid and gains significant time on his rivals.
Mercedes gets off to a perfect start at the Formula 1 premiere at the Madring in Madrid.
George Russell sets the fastest lap in the first free practice, relegating teammate Kimi Antonelli to second place.
The Briton clocks a time of 1:34.077 minutes, putting him just under three tenths of a second ahead of his teammate.
McLaren Disappoints
Charles Leclerc takes third place in the Ferrari (+0.459), followed by teammate Lewis Hamilton (+0.543) and Max Verstappen (+0.626) in the Red Bull.
Meanwhile, the two McLaren drivers Lando Norris (6th) and Oscar Piastri (8th) cannot keep up and are far behind in the first practice.
In the overall World Championship standings, Antonelli leads by a commanding 66 points over teammate Russell. The second session at the Madring takes place today, Friday, at 5:00 PM.
