What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 F1 Spanish GP

Key Points:

• The Madring circuit, a challenging and winding layout compared to Jeddah and Macau, posed difficulties for drivers who mostly relied on simulators before the first practice sessions, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly notably touching several walls early on.
• Mercedes showed strong performance in both practice sessions, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli exchanging top times, while Ferrari and Red Bull also remained competitive; McLaren struggled due to Lando Norris’s gearbox issues limiting track time.
• Tyre degradation, particularly on the front-left tyre due to high track temperatures and demanding corners, emerged as a major concern, causing graining and making it difficult for drivers to maintain consistent lap times.
• Qualifying is expected to be crucial given the circuit’s limited overtaking opportunities, and race strategies may be heavily influenced by tyre wear, with a potential for multiple pit stops if degradation remains high.
• Teams are likely to improve setups overnight as real-world data supplements simulator benchmarks, with expectations that tyre management and pace may improve ahead of the final practice and race day.