The First Free Practice got underway to start the weekend in Madrid for Round 6 of the Formula E season. The session served as an early opportunity for teams to assess changing weather conditions for the Madrid E-Prix.
Dan Ticktum put his Cupra Kiro at the top with a 1:29.403 ahead of Nyck de Vries and Maximilian Günther. Despite an early crash, de Vries was able to take part in the Free Practice session and complete several laps.
First Flying Laps and Early Drama
Just over six minutes into the session, drivers began heading out onto the track, except for Sébastien Buemi, who remained in the garage longer. The team opted for a slightly delayed start of the session, assessing the changing conditions.
Nico Müller set an early benchmark time, a 1:32.79; Mortara answered quickly and set a 1:32.55. Running was interrupted when Nyck de Vries hit the wall during his fast lap. The session was red-flagged momentarily, as de Vries drove the Mahindra back to the pits, but the time kept running.
Edoardo Mortara led the session so far, but there was a lot of time remaining. As the track conditions improved, so did the lap times.
Last-minute Improvements
After the restart and with 20 minutes remaining, the drivers started setting more competitive laps. António Félix da Costa took the provisional lead with a 1:31.61 and three-tenths ahead of Nick Cassidy.
As the Free Practice entered its last 15 minutes, Jean-Éric Vergne set an almost flawless lap of 1:29.95, followed by his teammate Nick Cassidy. Mortara moved into second with a 1:30.04.
Dan Ticktum, testing the limits, went off track. On a last-minute attempt, Ticktum went to the top with an impressive 1:29.403. De Vries set a late lap that saw him climb to second, ahead of Günther, to complete the top three.
Looking Ahead after Free Practice 1
With the first Free Practice complete, teams now turn their attention to refining setups for qualifying and the race. Track evolution and the changing weather will be key factors, and drivers will be pushing for further improvements in the remaining sessions. Expect another competitive day as the grid prepares for what promises to be an exciting Madrid E-Prix weekend.