'A six-stop race!' - Russell reveals fears over tyre wear at new Madrid track

George Russell says there are concerns over tyres due to the high-speed nature of the Madring and the lack of straights; watch Spanish GP Qualifying from the all-new Madring circuit live on Sky Sports F1 at 3pm on Saturday

George Russell has revealed fears over tyre wear for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix after the first day's running at the new Madring.

The high-speed corners at the new track in Madrid are putting a lot of energy into the tyres, particularly the banked 'La Monumental' Turn 12 where the drivers carry huge speed on a 13.5-degree baking.

Russell topped first practice and his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli was fastest in second practice with Saturday's qualifying at 3pm, live on Sky Sports F1, set to be crucial given the expected difficulty of overtaking in the race.

"There's a big question mark over the tyre degradation. In FP1 with the tyre degradation we all had, we thought a six-stop race would be the fastest way!" half-joked Russell.

"I'm sure tyre degradation will be better on Sunday but with the big long La Monumental, it really hurts the tyres and that will be a challenge for everyone."

Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord confirmed the tyre temperatures on the hot Madrid circuit and the lack of straights could create problems for the teams in the race.

"You could see some unusual tyre effects because they are running so hot and you have a lot of cornering sequences without a real chance for the tyres to have a breather," he said.

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