Dan Ticktum was the quickest, followed by Nyck de Vries and Maximilian Günther. The home hero, Pepe Martí, is already under pressure after managing only the 19th fastest time.
The Formula E kicked off its Madrid E-Prix weekend with an eventful first Free Practice session at Jarama, and it was CUPRA setting the early benchmark.
Ticktum topped the timesheets with a 1m29.403s, putting CUPRA KIRO in a strong position heading into Saturday. Despite a late trip through the gravel, the Brit recovered quickly to deliver a standout lap, finishing two-tenths clear of the field.
Second place went to De Vries, who had a dramatic session. The Dutchman triggered an early red flag after crashing at the chicane, damaging his front wing and reporting steering concerns on his Mahindra. Still, he managed to return to the track and secure P2.
Günther completed the top three for DS PENSKE, followed by Pascal Wehrlein in fourth for Porsche and Taylor Barnard in fifth, ensuring both DS PENSKE cars finished inside the top five.
Mixed conditions and key incidents shape the session
The session began at 16:30 local time under mixed conditions. Light rain had fallen earlier, but the track remained usable, allowing drivers to head out immediately.
Action was briefly halted after De Vries’ crash at the chicane brought out the red flag. Meanwhile, his teammate Edoardo Mortara narrowly avoided a similar incident later in the session after locking up at the same section, managing to escape without damage.
Ticktum himself had a scare with seven minutes remaining, running through the gravel before bouncing back to set the fastest lap of the session, a time that ultimately remained unbeaten.
Madrid hosts a Formula E race for the first time, with the championship visiting the historic Circuito del Jarama for Round 6 of the 2026 season.
What’s next?
This was the only session on Friday. Drivers and teams will return on Saturday for Free Practice 2 and qualifying, before the race that will decide the sixth round of the season.
