Formula 1 moves into the second practice session of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, with Ferrari expecting more from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after both drivers struggled to extract the maximum from the Soft tyres in FP1. FP2 begins at 17:00 local time in Madrid and runs for one hour until 18:00, with qualifying simulations and the first meaningful long runs set to become the main focus.
Good afternoon to all ScuderiaFans.com readers. We are once again in the press room at the new Madring circuit to bring you minute-by-minute live coverage of FP2 at the 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix. After the first exploratory laps earlier in the day, the second session is where the weekend begins to become more representative for the teams and drivers.
2026 Spanish GP FP2 live from Madrid
The opening practice session allowed every team to begin learning a circuit Formula 1 is racing on for the first time. They now have a much clearer initial picture of the track, together with a substantial amount of data to analyse before FP2. That should allow the programmes to progress towards the first genuine qualifying simulations and longer race-style runs, as traditionally happens during the second Friday practice session.
Fans looking to follow the complete weekend timetable can consult the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix schedule and session start times, with FP2 taking place from 17:00 to 18:00 in Madrid.
Ferrari expects more after FP1 at Madring
George Russell was the fastest driver during the opening practice session, finishing around two tenths ahead of Mercedes team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The two Ferrari drivers followed, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completing the leading group. The full order can be found in the 2026 Spanish GP FP1 classification from Madrid.
Ferrari’s position on the timing screens did not tell the entire story, however. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were unable to make full use of the softer tyres, leaving scope for a more significant improvement as the weekend develops. Earlier analysis of Ferrari’s SF-26 balance during Madrid FP1 highlighted an encouraging basic platform, while also underlining that the Soft-tyre performance had not yet been fully optimised.
That makes FP2 particularly important for the Maranello team. With the drivers now more familiar with Madring and the engineers able to work from actual track data, Ferrari can begin refining the setup and assessing how the SF-26 performs over both a single lap and longer stints. The team has also been evaluating its aerodynamic configuration for the Madrid Grand Prix as it searches for the best compromise around the new circuit.
Qualifying simulations and long runs take centre stage
The major questions will now begin to receive clearer answers. Was the FP1 order representative of the competitive picture for the rest of the weekend? Can Ferrari unlock more performance from the softer compound? And how will the SF-26 compare with Mercedes once the teams move into more serious qualifying and race simulations?
Follow ScuderiaFans.com for live, minute-by-minute coverage of FP2 at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with all the key developments from Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari and the rest of the Formula 1 field as the second practice session unfolds.
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