Seven Rookies on Track and Russell Fastest of All: Inside FP1 at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix

Russell Opens Friday in Barcelona with Authority, in an FP1 Defined by Rookies and Rising Heat

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya welcomed Formula 1 this morning for a session that carried a special twist from the very first minute: seven rookie drivers took to the track under FIA mandatory rules. The regulations require every full-time driver to sit out two practice sessions across the season in favour of a younger driver, and this Friday it was the turn of several well-known names from the junior paddock.

That meant Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris all watched from the garage while their stand ins took the wheel. And yet, amid all that shuffling of names, it was George Russell in his own car, no rookie swap involved who topped the session with a 1:16.363, ahead of Oscar Piastri by 0.203 and Charles Leclerc by 0.520.

Russell arrived in Spain after two difficult weekends without points, first in Monaco and then in Montreal, and this morning’s result reads like a small reset. It guarantees nothing FP1 sessions, run with varying fuel loads and tyre choices, rarely predict qualifying but it’s exactly the kind of morning a driver needs after a rough patch.

The most interesting story of the session, though, wasn’t at the top of the timesheet. It was how the rookies performed. Leonardo Fornaroli, filling in for Norris at McLaren, finished fifth, just 0.853 off the pace. That’s a notable result considering he was driving one of the fastest cars on the grid and delivered a time consistent with the McLaren’s potential. Behind him, Paul Aron, standing in for Nico Hulkenberg at Audi, was sixth, comfortably ahead of his regular teammate Gabriel Bortoleto, who finished twelfth.

Dino Beganovic, driving Hamilton’s Ferrari for the session, finished eighth a genuinely eye catching result for a driver who was fighting for the Formula 2 title this very season, with a standout performance just days ago in Monaco. Watching Beganovic adapt this quickly to an F1 Ferrari at a technical circuit like Barcelona says a lot about where his level is right now.

Not everything went smoothly. Carlos Sainz, racing in front of his home crowd with all the extra pressure that brings, ran into trouble early and never really got into the rhythm of the session. But the toughest morning belonged to Luke Browning, deputising at Williams: an electrical issue meant he never left the garage for the entire session, leaving him without a single timed lap and without any chance to make the most of his one rookie opportunity in Barcelona.

On a brighter note, Colton Herta experienced something special: his official Formula 1 race weekend debut with Cadillac. He finished 21st, in last place, but for a driver coming from IndyCar and facing a demanding European circuit for the first time, simply completing the session and banking learning laps is a result in itself. Frederik Vesti, standing in for Antonelli at Mercedes, finished 15th, rounding out the rookie contingent alongside Lindblad and Colapinto, who ran in their regular seats.

Liam Lawson had a solid morning for Racing Bulls, finishing seventh, while Franco Colapinto was tenth for Alpine, continuing the upward trend he’s shown in recent rounds.

What this FP1 leaves us with is a partial picture. Russell on top, McLaren showing pace through both Piastri and their rookie stand-in, Ferrari split between a comfortable Leclerc and a surprising Beganovic, and several rookies proving that Formula 1’s current crop of young talent runs deep. The real picture, though, will only start to take shape this afternoon in FP2, when the regular lineup returns and the Catalan heat continues to climb.

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Russell led with authority this morning, but an FP1 full of rookies always leaves questions about how representative it really is of each team’s true pace. Do you think Mercedes can confirm this advantage this afternoon, or do you see McLaren and Ferrari striking back in FP2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Sources: Formula1.com, RacingNews365, Crash.net