The lucky winner of the Spanish Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has further extended his championship lead over George Russell, who could do no better than fifth, and over Lewis Hamilton, who was forced to retire due to a brake problem. Third in a race he had looked well placed to win before the Virtual Safety Car, Lando Norris takes the opportunity to close to within five points of the seven-time ... Keep reading
George Russell believes Formula 1's first race at the Madring could swing one of two extreme ways, while Lewis Hamilton admits he does not know what exactly to expect, heading into Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
Sky Sports12 Sept
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
Briton beats teammates by one-hundredth of a second Verstappen qualifies third on tough Madring track Lando Norris took the first pole position at Formula One’s newest circuit, the Madring, for the Spanish Grand Prix. The McLaren driver saw off a spirited assault by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who was second, with a superb and somewhat unexpected lap at a circuit that has proved challenging to master and punishing on the slightest of errors. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was in third. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in fourth and fifth for Ferrari and George Russell sixth for Mercedes. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Giles Richards at the Madring12 Sept
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has dismissed suggestions from "couch warriors" that the Silver Arrows failed to treat George Russell fairly during the Italian Grand Prix.
Sky Sports12 Sept
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...
The Guardian•Philip Cornwall12 Sept
George Russell has opened up about launching his own dedicated grandstand for his supporters at Silverstone. It was announced this week that the British driver would have the George Russell Grandstand at his home grand prix circuit from 2027. The grandstand will be located at Farm Curve and ticketholders will get a three-day reserved seat, an official George Russell T-shirt delivered ahead ... Keep reading
George Russell was the fastest long-run driver with a lot of fuel on board. His closest challenger was Red Bull’s Max Verstappen over Friday’s practice sessions ahead of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix. The Dutchman was just 0.13 seconds per lap slower after adjusting for different tyre compounds and stint lengths. World championship leader Kimi Antonelli was the third-fastest long-run ... Keep reading
George Russell has revealed fears over tyre wear for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix after the first day's running at the new Madring.
Sky Sports11 Sept
George Russell says the new Madrid circuit is "very high risk" after Arvid Lindblad crashes in Friday practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.
BBC11 Sept
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has praised the brand-new Madring circuit, revealing that it is the first track of the 2026 season that has made him want to get back behind the wheel. After the Italian Grand Prix at Monza last weekend, which resulted in a Mercedes 1-2 finish with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, the drivers now face a step into the unknown at the new 5.4km, 22-turn ... Keep reading
New hybrid street circuit has fast corners, virtually no margin for error – but limited overtaking opportunities In Madrid’s Puerta del Sol this week, Formula One fans were not shy in calling on the gods to look kindly on their favoured drivers on a newly built circuit that appears punishingly unforgiving. Legend has it that rubbing the paws or backside of the bear in the famous El Oso y el Madroño statue at the square’s heart confers good luck. The drivers may well need it. Day one of action at the brand new Madring track began with F2’s Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak careening into the barriers and his car catching fire, leaving the onlooking George Russell shocked before the F1 drivers took to the wheel. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Giles Richards at the Madring11 Sept
George Russell was fastest from Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the first practice session at the new Madring circuit in Madrid.
Sky Sports11 Sept
George Russell goes quickest in first practice for the Spanish Grand Prix - hours after saying the circuit has little margin for error.
BBC11 SeptGeorge Russell goes quickest in first practice for the Spanish Grand Prix - hours after saying the circuit has little margin for error.
BBC11 Sept
Mercedes’ George Russell was fastest in the first-ever Formula 1 session at the brand-new Madring track – first practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. Twenty out of 22 cars took to the brand-new track within the first 100 seconds of the session, with Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto emerging some time later. The very first flying laps were somewhat tentative with most drivers in the ... Keep reading
Mercedes’ George Russell was fastest in the first-ever Formula 1 session at the brand-new Madring track – Free Practice 1 for the Spanish Grand Prix. Twenty out of 22 cars took to the brand-new track within the first 100 seconds of the session, with Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto emerging some time later. The very first flying laps were somewhat tentative with most drivers in the ... Keep reading
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has claimed that while George Russell is "trying to overanalyse everything" behind the wheel, his team-mate and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli is allowing his driving to unfold naturally. As the drivers arrive in Madrid for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit, Montoya discussed the performance of the Mercedes ... Keep reading
George Russell says he will take an engine penalty when Mercedes introduces its upgraded Formula 1 power unit. Both Mercedes drivers have exceeded or are expected to exceed their power unit allowance for the 2026 season. Kimi Antonelli did so last weekend in Monza, where he took a back-of-the-grid penalty and scythed his way through the field to take a historic victory from 19th. Russell ... Keep reading
George Russell says he will take an engine penalty when Mercedes introduces its upgraded Formula 1 power unit. Both Mercedes drivers have exceeded or are expected to exceed their power unit allowance for the 2026 season. Kimi Antonelli did so last weekend in Monza, where he took a back-of-the-grid penalty and scythed his way through the field to take a historic victory from 19th. Russell ... Keep reading