Madring hailed as "best in Europe" as drivers give their verdict on the new track
The 14th round of the 2026 Formula One season takes place on an all-new circuit in Madrid. The Madring is a 5.414km long track featuring 22 turns and steep 13.5 degrees of banking around La Monumental, with drivers expected to reach up to 200mph around the streets of Madrid on Sunday.
The drivers entered the unknown, as no Formula One driver had previously tested the track and had only experienced it through the sim, compared to Formula 3, which held a two-day test in August.
Though driver impressions from that session were wary, as it recorded 19 red flags, 11 of which were caused by crashes.
George Russell tested the track on the simulator and noted the tight margins, which leave no room for error. After completing some laps, he stated that he was "surprised there were only 20 red flags". Franco Colapinto was another driver who was bracing for the challenging weekend: "I think this track is going to be extremely difficult for the drivers," said the Alpine driver.
"In the simulator, putting together one complete lap could take me hours. So imagine what it is going to be like here when you only have two or three laps to do it. Finding that perfect lap is going to be very difficult.
When Friday rolled around, the drivers were all eager for the green light to indicate the start of the first practice. FP1 was relatively quiet, with drivers focusing on learning the track, and Russell produced the fastest time of the session. But the first red flag was brought out in FP2 as Arvid Lindblad lost the rear as he worked his way through La Monumental before slamming into the barriers at the entrance to Turn 13.
The drivers give their thoughts on the track
After topping the first session, Russell dropped to fifth in the afternoon before dropping to a further sixth on Saturday's sole practice session. The Briton commented on how exciting the track is to drive, but believes tyre degradation will play a huge role on Sunday's 57-lap race.
“It was very fun driving the track for the first time,” he said.
“It’s always a great experience driving a new circuit. FP1 was a strong session. FP2, we made some set-up changes – it wasn’t quite as good, so we’ll probably revert back on that. So far, so good.
“I think there’s a big question mark over the tyre degradation. In FP1 with the tyre degradation we all had, we think a six-stop race would probably have been the fastest way!
“I don’t think anybody’s going to do a six-stop race on Sunday and I’m sure tyre deg will be better, but with that big long corner – La Monumental – it really hurts the tyres. That’s going to be a real challenge for everyone.”
Championship leader and teammate Kimi Antonelli echoed Russell's comments about degradation and mentioned how difficult the track is to navigate due to the tight running alongside walls, but highlighted how "fun" the circuit is:
“It is a very cool circuit to drive around,” Antonelli said after topping FP2. “It is a real challenge for us as drivers, with lots of high-speed corners and walls close by. You need to be very precise with your lines and good on the brakes.
"It is very easy to lock up as there are a lot of places where you are braking and turning at the same time. It is a fun challenge and one that I am enjoying. We’ve had a good first day here."
Antonelli continued his strong form around the track and topped FP3 with a 1:32.797, the quickest time all weekend.
Ferrari was another team running well in practice, with both drivers taking turns topping the board, and Charles Leclerc finishing in the top three in all practice sessions.
Lewis Hamilton was also running well, with his best result in FP2, where he finished second, but the Briton struggled on Saturday after hitting the barriers nose-first; he was instructed to stop the car but continued driving, meaning he could face a penalty before qualifying.
"It’s a fun track to drive, and FP1 was a good starting point for us," Hamilton said after both the practice sessions on Friday concluded.
"As the day went on, we found it a little more difficult to get the car in the right window, so there are a few things for us to look into, particularly around the balance.
"It’s a new circuit for everyone and we gathered plenty of useful data, which we’ll go through.
"There are definitely some positives to take, and we’ll work to make a step forward ahead of qualifying."
Despite not having a strong practice session, Cadillac and Madrid resident Sergio Perez provided his thoughts, hailing the race as "the best in Europe":
"Yeah, really cool track, really nice venue,"
"Really happy to be here in Madrid. I think definitely this is going to become the best race in Europe.
"It's going to be a chaotic qualifying tomorrow and obviously a very chaotic race on Sunday, so a lot can happen. I'm really looking forward to it, and as a team we just have to make sure we are able to execute a perfect weekend." He concluded.
With both Mercedes and Ferrari emerging as the top contenders this weekend, the battle for pole will be exciting as the drivers push to the limits in Saturday afternoon's qualifying session.
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