Russell P2, Antonelli P6 in Scorching Spanish GP Practice

George Russell finishes P2 and Kimi Antonelli P6 in Spanish GP FP2. Mercedes tests long-run setups under new flexi wing directive and intense heat.

The Spanish Grand Prix weekend kicked off with a productive Friday for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team under the scorching Catalan sun. With track temperatures peaking at 50°C, teams were put to the test in managing tyre performance and gathering race-critical data. Despite the heat, Mercedes made solid progress, particularly in the second practice session.

George Russell delivered a standout lap in FP2, placing second with a time of 1:13.046, while teammate Kimi Antonelli impressed with a P6 finish in only his debut season in Formula 1. This performance came after a more modest FP1, where the duo finished P11 and P18 respectively — largely due to their unique tyre strategy involving extended runs on the Hard and Medium compounds. With most teams focusing on Softs early on, Mercedes' approach prioritized long-run analysis over headline lap times.

“I felt good in the car,” Russell noted. “It was great to be back on track in Barcelona. Our qualifying simulations looked decent, and while we weren't quite as competitive on the long runs, we’ve got a lot of good data to go through.” Antonelli echoed a similar sentiment: after struggling with car balance and bouncing in FP1, his confidence grew in FP2 as he found rhythm during the single-lap runs.

The team ran split configurations across both cars to better understand recent issues in race pace, and according to Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, Friday's programme was completed without disruption. This allowed engineers to conduct critical tests under real conditions — a crucial advantage given the expected heatwave throughout the weekend.

One notable technical development shaping the weekend was the introduction of FIA’s new directive targeting “flexi wings.” Effective from this race, the ruling tightens deflection thresholds on front wing components — changes that could affect several teams’ aerodynamic setups. While Mercedes has not commented on any specific impacts, the directive is a key talking point across the paddock.

Beyond Formula 1, Mercedes Junior driver Noah Strømsted also drew attention with a strong qualifying effort in FIA Formula 3. After a mid-field showing in practice, the young Dane secured P8 in qualifying — just a few tenths off pole. Thanks to the reversed-grid format, he will line up P5 for Saturday’s Sprint Race, with a real chance to fight for valuable points.

As the team heads into Saturday’s qualifying and final preparations for Sunday’s Grand Prix, all eyes remain on whether Mercedes can translate promising signs into race-day execution — especially in conditions that will continue to challenge tyre life and car balance.

Source: mercedes-benz.com