Formula 1 heads straight back onto the track in Barcelona. Follow our live coverage of Free Practice 1 from the Spanish Grand Prix as the teams begin preparations for the seventh round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.
Engines are warming up in Catalunya, where the Formula 1 field returns to action for another crucial race weekend. FP1 is scheduled to begin at 13:30 local time, with our live commentary getting underway at 13:25.
Just one week after the Monaco Grand Prix, Formula 1 is back in action without a break. During the same weekend as the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, the championship arrives at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for round seven of the 2026 season.
As is often the case at Barcelona, the paddock is full of technical developments and upgrade packages. The Catalan circuit has long been considered one of the most demanding and revealing venues on the calendar, making it the ideal location for teams to evaluate new components and gather important performance data.
The first opportunity for engineers and drivers to assess those developments comes during Free Practice 1, which gets underway at 13:30.
Charles Leclerc set to test Lewis Hamilton’s brakes: problem solved in Spain?
Fresh from another victory in the Principality, Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives in Spain as the dominant leader of the Formula 1 World Championship.
The Mercedes driver heads the standings with a 66-point advantage over his closest challenger, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Third in the championship, just two points behind the seven-time world champion, is George Russell, who will be looking to bounce back strongly after a disappointing weekend in Monaco.
Mercedes is currently enjoying a period of remarkable success, but its rivals are continuing to push hard in pursuit of the championship leaders. Lewis Hamilton arrives in Barcelona in excellent spirits after securing second place in Monaco and continuing Ferrari’s recent run of encouraging performances. On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Charles Leclerc is eager for redemption after a frustrating retirement at his home race.
Following the incident at Anthony Noghes during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, considerable attention has been focused on the braking system used by the Monegasque driver. Questions surrounding brake feel and confidence have become one of the major talking points inside the Ferrari camp.
During the Spanish Grand Prix practice sessions, Charles Leclerc is expected to test the Carbon Industries brake discs already adopted by Lewis Hamilton since the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka. The move could provide important answers regarding the braking issues that have affected Charles Leclerc in recent races and may help Ferrari unlock additional performance heading into the remainder of the weekend.
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