Ferrari made an encouraging start to the 2026 Madrid Grand Prix weekend, with Charles Leclerc finishing FP1 in third place and Lewis Hamilton fourth on Formula 1’s first official visit to the new Madring circuit. Charles Leclerc ended the session 0.459 seconds behind pace-setter George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton was 0.543 seconds off the Mercedes driver.
The opening practice hour offered the first meaningful indication of the competitive order on a circuit making its Formula 1 calendar debut. Ferrari looked particularly competitive during the early running on medium tyres, although its performance on the soft compound was less convincing and left one familiar question unanswered heading into FP2.
Ferrari arrives in Madrid looking to respond after Monza
The Maranello team has arrived in Spain determined to respond to its painful home Grand Prix. Following Charles Leclerc’s Monza accident, the driver and Ferrari decided as a precaution not to fit the updated ADUO-2 power unit to his SF-26 in Madrid. Lewis Hamilton is therefore the only Ferrari driver using the latest specification this weekend.
Ferrari also entered FP1 with a small advantage over its rivals because it is the only team to have previously run at the Madring. The circuit hosted the second of Ferrari’s two permitted filming days earlier in the season, giving Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton some prior experience of the layout. However, track conditions during that test were considerably different from those encountered this weekend.
That limited previous running nevertheless provided Ferrari with a useful starting point as the championship arrived at a completely new venue, one of the reasons why the SF-26 was expected to face a more favourable test in Madrid than at Monza. Ferrari’s World Championship objectives now appear increasingly difficult to achieve, but the team still has the responsibility of extracting the maximum possible result week after week.
Ferrari starts strongly on medium tyres in Madrid FP1
Ferrari began its first stint on the medium compound, with both SF-26 cars immediately focusing on learning the new track and assessing the available grip. The surface appeared to offer more adhesion than initially expected.
During the opening phase, Lewis Hamilton appeared to have greater confidence and consequently pushed harder. Ten minutes into the session, the seven-time world champion was fastest, followed by Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc then improved again while remaining first and second, separated by around one tenth of a second. Two laps later, Lewis Hamilton found another six tenths, before Charles Leclerc responded on the following lap and took first place by just one tenth.
After a cool-down lap that included a trip through the pit lane, Lewis Hamilton launched another flying attempt and returned to the top of the timesheets, beating his Ferrari teammate by just 0.063 seconds.
Soft-tyre runs leave Ferrari with more questions
For the second stint, Ferrari switched both cars to the red-marked soft compound. Charles Leclerc ran wide at the beginning of the third sector on his second flying attempt, returned to the pits at the end of the lap and rejoined the circuit only a few seconds later.
With almost five minutes remaining, neither Ferrari driver had improved on the soft tyre. Charles Leclerc was the only one to find more time on his final attempt, moving into third position around four tenths away from the top of the standings.
The SF-26 therefore looked less convincing on the soft compound, although a possible set-up change between the two stints may also have influenced the picture. Ferrari has already been working on its Madrid aerodynamic configuration and rear-wing set-up, making Friday’s running particularly important as engineers search for the right compromise on an unfamiliar circuit.
Charles Leclerc P3 and Lewis Hamilton P4 as Mercedes leads
Any conclusions from FP1 must be treated with caution because this was only Formula 1’s first proper taste of a completely new circuit. Ferrari nevertheless started well and completed the programme it had planned for the opening session.
Mercedes already appears strong, while Red Bull and McLaren have not yet produced any particularly significant performances. For Ferrari, the early medium-tyre pace was encouraging, but the soft-compound runs leave more to understand before qualifying preparations intensify.
The opening session therefore offers useful data rather than definitive answers. Further analysis of the SF-26’s behaviour will form part of Ferrari’s wider technical work throughout the Madrid weekend, with FP2 expected to provide a clearer indication of the overall competitive picture.
FP2 begins at 17:00.
Leave a Reply