What the teams said – Friday in Spain

Mercedes and Ferrari showed strong pace during the opening day of practice at the new Madrid street circuit, with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell leading the way for Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton kept the pressure on for Ferrari. Teams faced significant challenges regarding tyre degradation and finding the right setup on the high-grip, technical track, with several drivers, including Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda, hampered by technical issues. Oscar Piastri and Arvid Lindblad also provided solid performances, although both faced interruptions to their programs, including a crash for the Racing Bulls rookie in FP2. The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson had a relatively clean day, focusing on gathering data while dealing with the tricky balance of the car. Meanwhile, teams like Haas and Williams worked through aero upgrades and setup evaluations, with Esteban Ocon showing promise for Haas. Pirelli noted significant graining across the field, highlighting the importance of tyre management and qualifying performance at a circuit where overtaking is expected to be difficult.