Russell fastest in Barcelona first practice

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, George Russell is 68 points behind Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship By Andrew Benson F1 Correspondent Published 6 minutes ago Mercedes driver George Russell set the pace from McLaren's Oscar Piastri in first practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Russell was 0.203 seconds quicker than Piastri, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The session was marked by six junior drivers replacing the regulars as part of the mandatory requirement for teams to use at least two practice sessions a year for up and coming drivers. McLaren's Leonardo Fornaroli was the fastest, in fifth place, ahead of Estonian Paul Aron in an Audi, on loan from his regular role as Alpine reserve driver. Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson was seventh, separated from team-mate Arvid Lindblad by Dino Beganovic, driving Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari. Gasly's Monaco third place reinstated after appeal Published 43 minutes ago How to follow Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on the BBC Published 1 day ago Alpine's Franco Colapinto completed the top 10, ahead of Haas driver Oliver Bearman and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto. The session was relatively incident-free, although Cadillac's reserve driver Colton Herta had a moment over the kerbs at Turn Eight, as did Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Beganovic. Leclerc was testing a major aerodynamic upgrade on the Ferrari, including a new floor, which Hamilton will also use in the second session this afternoon. Briton Luke Browning, Williams' reserve driver, managed no laps as a result of an electrical problem in Alex Albon's car. Related topics Formula 1 More on this story Antonelli says he still has questions to answer Published 20 hours ago Powell and Pulling to commentate on Barcelona GP for the BBC Published 1 day ago Pirelli F1 tyre contract extended until 2028 Published 19 hours ago