Ferrari and Mercedes emerged from Friday practice at the Madring as two of the teams that appear to have made the strongest progress in solving Formula 1’s new Madrid setup puzzle. Along with Racing Bulls, the two front-running teams found competitive solutions despite initially taking somewhat different approaches, before their choices gradually began to converge as the day progressed.
The margins underline just how closely matched they became. Charles Leclerc ended FP2 in second place behind Kimi Antonelli, while their respective ideal laps, calculated from their best sector times, were separated by just four thousandths of a second. On a circuit this long and technically diverse, that effectively represents a performance dead heat after the first day of running.
Why the Madring is creating such a difficult setup puzzle
The Madring has confirmed exactly what was expected before Formula 1 arrived: it is an extremely complicated technical challenge in which performance depends on combining several very different requirements. Energy deployment, mechanical setup, tyre management and driver execution all have to work together around a layout featuring fast chicanes where cars must attack the kerbs, long loaded corners, the banked Monumental, rapid changes of direction and acceleration zones beginning below 120 km/h.
That variety forces engineers towards compromise. Maximising the complete lap inevitably means accepting weaknesses in certain areas rather than trying to optimise every individual section. It is one reason why the circuit represents such a different proposition from Monza and why Ferrari arrived believing the Madring could better suit the SF-26.
After Friday practice, Ferrari and Mercedes appear to have interpreted that compromise particularly effectively. They arrived at broadly similar levels of performance despite following approaches that, especially early in the day, were clearly distinguishable.
Ferrari and Mercedes converge on Madrid energy deployment
Across both FP1 and FP2, Ferrari tended to build its lap primarily through the opening two sectors, while Mercedes recovered ground in the final part of the circuit. One of the central factors was energy deployment and, specifically, where each car released its available electrical energy around the lap.
The SF-26 deployed more energy during the first portion of the circuit, continuing through the Monumental and particularly along the most important semi-straight, which leads towards Turn 5. Mercedes appeared to preserve a greater proportion of its electrical energy for the return section after the Monumental, particularly between the very fast Turn 15 and the subsequent high-speed sequence of alternating right- and left-hand corners.
Those differences became considerably smaller in FP2. During the opening session the two strategies had looked almost exaggerated in their contrast, but by the afternoon their energy management had become much more similar while still retaining some identifiable characteristics.
That progressive convergence was one of Friday’s most interesting technical developments. As Ferrari and Mercedes accumulated data and improved their understanding of the new circuit, their respective solutions began moving closer together. A similar process could also be seen in the mechanical behaviour of the cars.
The wider challenge of balancing energy use with aerodynamic and mechanical efficiency is particularly important in Madrid, where teams have also adopted different rear-wing and aerodynamic solutions for the Madring.
Ferrari softens the SF-26 rear to improve traction
One of Ferrari’s most noticeable characteristics during FP1 was the very high speed reached towards the end of the Monumental. Those peaks were substantially reduced during the afternoon session, while at the same time the SF-26 improved through slower corners and, above all, during traction phases.
The most plausible interpretation is that Ferrari adjusted the rear-end setup, softening the rear axle to generate more mechanical grip when accelerating away from low-speed corners. It is an especially delicate compromise at the Madring because a change that benefits slow-corner traction can become problematic at the end of the Monumental, where the car experiences an enormous vertical compression.
Calculations put the additional vertical load experienced by the cars at approximately 1.7–1.8G, making suspension setup and floor wear significant considerations. This probably explains the need to limit speed more aggressively through the final part of the banked section, sacrificing performance there in exchange for a more effective car over the rest of the lap.
The speed comparison illustrates that change clearly. Charles Leclerc went from an exit speed of approximately 290 km/h in FP1 to around 275 km/h in FP2. Kimi Antonelli moved in the opposite direction, increasing from roughly 275 km/h to 283 km/h. The contrasting changes suggest that Ferrari and Mercedes were moving towards the same central range of reference values from opposite starting points.
Mercedes continued to show greater energy availability around Turn 15 and through the high-speed snake that follows, although its advantage there was much smaller than during the opening session.
Leclerc and Antonelli separated by four thousandths on ideal laps
Through fast direction changes, Ferrari and Mercedes also appeared extremely close by FP2. That provides another indication that the two cars may be converging in terms of roll stiffness as engineers refine their mechanical setups.
The accumulated gap between them effectively disappeared in the third sector before increasing to around one tenth only over the final metres of the lap. On a circuit as long and complex as the Madring, a tenth represents an extremely small overall performance difference.
The ideal-lap comparison is even more striking. Combining the best sectors produced an ideal lap for Charles Leclerc that differed from Kimi Antonelli’s by only 0.004 seconds after the Mercedes driver finished FP2 first and the Ferrari driver second.
Madrid’s repeated braking and acceleration phases are also placing particular demands on the cars, with the circuit presenting a very different challenge to the one encountered at Monza. The Madring’s braking and energy-recovery demands are therefore another important part of the setup equation.
Mercedes may still have power unit margin for qualifying
Despite the near-equal Friday performance, Mercedes still gives the impression of having slightly more in reserve from its power unit. This does not necessarily mean an advantage that has already been fully expressed on the stopwatch, but rather potential additional performance that could become particularly significant once more aggressive engine mappings are used in qualifying.
The picture behind Ferrari and Mercedes is less clear. Red Bull appears to have substantial scope to improve, although certain sections of the Madring do not seem especially well suited to the characteristics of its car and could prove difficult to overcome in the fight for pole position.
Max Verstappen remains an important variable. On a circuit as technically complicated as Madrid, the Dutch driver’s contribution could become particularly significant as the limits are pushed further.
McLaren has more ground to recover after difficult Friday
McLaren is even harder to assess following a decidedly difficult day. Oscar Piastri was the only McLaren driver to run during the afternoon session, but his performance was disappointing, with the car particularly lacking during traction and corner exits while consistently displaying a lower level of grip than the leading cars.
Lando Norris missing the session adds another significant complication. Losing an entire practice period is particularly costly on a brand-new circuit where every minute of track time is valuable for both drivers and engineers as they search for the correct setup and establish the limits of the car.
McLaren certainly retains the potential to recover, but compared with Ferrari and Mercedes, the Woking team appears to be starting from a considerably less advanced position in its progression through the weekend.
Ferrari sees encouraging tyre degradation but traffic complicates long runs
Ferrari also received some positive indications from its race-pace running, particularly regarding tyre degradation. Curiously, the soft compound could prove more interesting over a race stint than in qualifying conditions.
During long runs, the tyre is subjected to lower longitudinal loads because the cars apply less drive torque than during an all-out qualifying lap. In a time attack, the enormous torque delivered to the rear wheels when accelerating from slower corners rapidly increases rear-tyre temperatures, creating a tendency for the rubber to move outside its ideal operating window. According to Friday’s indications, however, that issue appears to emerge specifically over the single lap.
Interpreting the long runs remains extremely difficult because of traffic, which is likely to become one of the defining themes of the entire weekend. With such a complex circuit and limited experience available, finding clear track can influence not only lap time but also how accurately teams can evaluate their tyres and setup.
FP3 will show whether Ferrari and Mercedes converge even further
After Friday, the Madring therefore remains an unknown quantity despite Ferrari and Mercedes appearing to have found two of the most productive routes through its technical demands. As the competitive intensity rises, the risk of incidents is also expected to increase, with every section of the circuit capable of becoming both an opportunity and a trap for drivers and engineers.
The challenge had already prompted discussion over the risk of mistakes and interruptions at the new Madrid circuit, and the margins will become even smaller once teams begin pushing towards qualifying performance.
FP3 should provide the first indication of what the teams have achieved through their overnight work, particularly in terms of mechanical setup and energy-deployment strategy. It will also reveal whether Ferrari and Mercedes continue moving towards an even more similar solution or whether their approaches begin to diverge again once qualifying preparation takes priority.
The remaining session times for the weekend are available in the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix schedule.
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