Andrea Kimi Antonelli dominates free practice at the Spanish Grand Prix debut in Madrid
The Spanish Grand Prix has started strongly at the new semi-urban circuit in Madrid. In the second free practice session, the young Italian talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who currently leads the championship with Mercedes, has positioned himself as the benchmark to beat by recording the best time of the day.
Antonelli, established as the youngest leader in the history of the category, stopped the clock at one minute, 33 seconds, and 662 thousandths after covering the 5,416 meters of the Madrid circuit. With this time, the Mercedes driver beat Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who led the Ferrari representation, by 113 thousandths.
Clash of titans and Latino performance
The session podium was completed by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The Briton, at the wheel of his Ferrari, took third place, maintaining a gap of 149 thousandths of a second from the mark set by Antonelli. It should be noted that all the leaders at the top of the table achieved their best times using the soft tire compound.
Regarding Hispanic and Latin American representation, the performance on this opening day was as follows:
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine) placed in fifteenth position, with a gap of 2.224 seconds from the leader.
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) finished in sixteenth place, followed by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) in seventeenth position.
- Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) had a complicated session, recording the nineteenth fastest time, three and a half seconds off the lead.
Activity in Madrid continues to be the focus of attention for the Formula One World Championship, with a circuit that promises to continue demanding the maximum from drivers and teams throughout the weekend.
