Formula One arrived at Madrid’s new street-style circuit for the first time, and BWT Alpine spent Friday simply learning it. Pierre Gasly ended the day 11th in second practice, with Franco Colapinto 15th after topping the pair in the opening session. Managing Director Steve Nielsen conceded the layout does not suit the team’s package as well as Monza did a week earlier.

Friday at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix was less about lap times than about reconnaissance. With the Madrid venue — nicknamed the Madring — hosting a world championship round for the first time, every team spent the two practice hours mapping bumps, kerbs and braking points that no simulator can fully replicate.

How the two sessions unfolded

Franco Colapinto had the upper hand in Free Practice 1, setting a 1min 35.933secs for 13th, just ahead of Pierre Gasly in 14th with a 1min 36.244secs. The order reversed after the break: Gasly improved to 1min 34.959secs for 11th in Free Practice 2, while Colapinto’s 1min 35.886secs left him 15th.

Between them the two Alpines completed 90 laps and 487 km (303 miles) — 44 laps and 238 km (148 miles) for Gasly, 46 laps and 249 km (155 miles) for Colapinto. Both drivers worked through the C3 and C4 tyre compounds.

The drivers on a track that bites

Gasly was clearly taken with the circuit, even if the results were modest.

“It’s always a nice challenge coming to a new circuit and seeing it at speed for the first time. I must say, I really loved the track. It’s very exciting, it’s high-speed and gives you a real adrenaline rush lap after lap. The walls come at you quite quickly, so you have to be very precise with lines and really commit to the corners throughout the whole lap.”

The Frenchman added that the day “could have gone better” and that there is “definitely more pace to find ahead of tomorrow, which should put us in the mix for the top ten.”

Colapinto described a straightforward build-up programme: learning the circuit in FP1, then splitting FP2 between low-fuel and high-fuel running. “We need to find some improvements and now we’ll put some time in with the team and the engineers to find which direction on set-up to go,” he said.

Alpine expects a harder weekend than Monza

Steve Nielsen framed the session as data-gathering, noting that simulator preparation only goes so far. “There can be subtle differences on a new track, where the bumps are and how the car reacts or handles is important to get used to,” the Managing Director said, adding that the hunt for the limit explained the day’s red flags: “It’s a test for the drivers and finding the limit here will reward lap time, so that’s why there’s been some stoppages today.”

His assessment of the A526 was candid. According to Nielsen, the team knew before arriving that Madrid would not play to the strengths of its package in the way Monza did, and both drivers reported similar limitations on ride and traction along with concerns over drivability.

What it means

For a team fighting in the midfield, a brand-new circuit is a double-edged opportunity: nobody has reference data, but a car with a narrow operating window struggles to find it quickly. Gasly’s target of the top ten in qualifying looks achievable given his FP2 position, though the margin behind him in the classification was slim and the picture can shift sharply once track conditions settle.

Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix follows on Saturday.

Source: media.alpinecars.com