Overview
- Friday practice at the new Madring circuit opened with Mercedes showing top pace as George Russell led FP1 and Andrea Kimi Antonelli topped FP2.
- FP2 was stopped for about 15–20 minutes when Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad hit the wall; he was reported uninjured and the incident reduced on‑track time for all teams.
- Franco Colapinto finished mid‑pack (13th in FP1, 15th in FP2) and said Alpine’s car felt unpredictable with lost rear downforce and a harsh ride over the pianos.
- Alpine confirmed Colapinto’s seat through 2027 while the team plans overnight work to address rear stability, with limited FP2 running complicating setup changes before Saturday’s final practice and qualifying.
- Madring is a 5.4 km semi‑urban layout with 22 turns and a steep banked section called the ‘Monumental,’ features that raise setup and safety trade‑offs and make overtaking difficult.