2026 F2 Spanish GP | Free Practice results

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Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov topped the first FIA Formula 2 session at the Madring, setting a 1:47.059 to lead Van Amersfoort Racing teammates Nico Varrone and Rafael Villagómez in an interrupted Free Practice.

The 45-minute session represented the F2 field’s only opportunity to gain real-world experience around Madrid’s new circuit before Qualifying later on Friday. Unlike Formula 3, which tested at the venue in August, the 22 F2 drivers arrived without previous track running, making every lap particularly valuable.

Long stoppage limits F2 running in Madrid

AIX Racing’s Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. set the first time before the order changed quickly as drivers built confidence. ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini eventually moved ahead with a 1:49.120, leading Invicta Racing’s Joshua Dürksen when the session came to a halt with around 31 minutes remaining.

ART Grand Prix’s Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak crashed at Turn 19, with his car catching fire after the impact. He climbed out and moved behind the barriers, while marshals extinguished the fire and officials carried out recovery work and barrier repairs.

Race Control eventually resumed the session at 11:48 local time and extended the finish to 11:55, leaving around seven minutes of running. Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne initially jumped to the top before DAMS Lucas Oil’s Dino Beganovic and Tsolov improved.

The order continued to change rapidly. Hitech’s Colton Herta briefly moved second before Villagómez and Varrone climbed ahead. Tsolov then set the decisive 1:47.059.

Maini briefly appeared fastest with a 1:46.751 near the chequered flag, but he lost the lap and dropped to 13th in the final classification. TRIDENT’s Laurens van Hoepen then hit the barriers at the end of the session, preventing further meaningful improvements.

Tsolov consequently led Varrone by 0.110 seconds, with Villagómez only 0.027 seconds further back. Herta finished fourth ahead of Dunne, while van Hoepen retained sixth despite his late incident.