Formula 1 drivers and team chiefs are hopeful there is scope at the Madring for organisers to make changes to the track to aid overtaking for future seasons.
The new home of the Spanish Grand Prix held its inaugural event over the weekend around the semi-permanent, wall-lined Madring circuit
While the 3.36-mile layout was praised for the challenge it posed on a fast qualifying lap, drivers had raised concerns ahead of the race about a likely lack of overtaking opportunities – something which largely played out in the race.
Lando Norris, who claimed the inaugural pole position and would likely have won the Grand Prix too but for an untimely Virtual Safety Car, believes “there are some obvious changes they should make” to make it a “great race track” to go with the challenge it provided drivers in qualifying.
Offering a blunt assessment on some immediate revisions he would like to see, the McLaren driver said: “They should get rid of [Turns] 18, 19. Useless. Just have more of a straight into a hairpin.
“Like, I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes, ‘Mint’. Yeah, I think there’s a lot of opportunity.
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“Like I said yesterday, I think they can make it into a track that’s good for racing, and I’m excited to come back here next year if they can make these changes because I think it’s a track that is good fun to drive and it can be a great race track.”
Race winner Kimi Antonelli added: “I think there are some corners that need to be changed to create more overtaking opportunities because right now, yes, it’s nice over one lap, but for sure in the race, you know, you’re just stuck behind [other cars].”
Williams’ Carlos Sainz, one of two Spanish drivers on the grid and who is also an ambassador of the Grand Prix, wrote on X: “The track is great. There needs to be some work done to create better passing, but it’s been a great race overall, especially for a first year.”
‘They are totally open-minded about next year’ – Wolff sure organisers will make tweaks
The inaugural race weekend at the Madring, which winds round Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre and is located close to the Spanish capital’s international airport, drew a sold-out crowd of 352,618.
Toto Wolff said he was impressed with the event as a whole and revealed organisers were already talking to the FIA, F1’s governing body, about what could be improved regarding the track for next year.
“I think for the first [event], it’s probably one of the best, or maybe the best that I’ve seen so far,” said the Mercedes team principal.
“It’s a temporary circuit. They’ve built something that is challenging for the drivers – a mini Macau or a mini Monaco – and the location is good.
“We are thinking about how much more we can do next year in terms of little events here, or presentations, because we have the space and that’s very rare in Formula 1.
“So I would say congratulations for a first.
“And then it’s the tricky bit, doing a track that is spectacular also for the drivers and then building it in a way that there is lots of overtaking.
“I had a discussion yesterday with the CEO of the circuit and they are totally open-minded about next year and said ‘we’ve had the discussions with the FIA. What is it we should do? How is it that we should lay the track out when it comes to overtaking?’ There is a constant discussion.
“And I think that they are on it and understand ‘can we tweak it a little bit here or there?’ Honestly, I feel like if you try to find a hair in the soup, then you always find one. But being here for the first time, I’m very impressed.”
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Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was similarly effusive about the facility and also expressed hope that track improvements would be explored and introduced.
“It was an incredible event, that’s my opinion,” said Mekies.
“Incredible event, incredible venue setup. Massive paddock, massive garage area. I think it was a fantastic track in terms of being a driver’s track, all sort of corner speed and all of that in between the walls.
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“I think the only shortfall is the overtaking opportunity. I’m guessing it is stuff that can be addressed even [with] the space that we have around the track layout.
“I’m not a track designer but I would think that there would be certainly a common desire to want to improve probably the only aspect, or the main aspect, that remains behind here which is the overtaking opportunity.”
What could be changed?
Norris offered further suggested alterations to the existing layout.
“It’s great in qualifying, but, you know, straight line from 17 straight to 20, have a much wider entry like Austin Turn 1 or Turn 10 in Austin, big hairpin,” he said.
“You know, you’ll create much better opportunities for everyone and you’ll be able to enjoy the race.
“So yeah, there are some simple changes and maybe some trickier ones, like Turn 5, 6, 7. It’s hard to know exactly what’s the best thing.
“The fact you have to turn and brake basically defeats the whole object of racing. So, they can do some simple changes, I think, easy changes and maybe some more tricky, but I hope they do it because then it should be more exciting for everyone.”
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Speaking after qualifying on Saturday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had said: “In terms of track design, I think it can be better.
“I think also input from drivers in the future on track design can also help a lot. I know they will always come back to you and say, ‘Yeah, but the space,’ but that’s BS. There’s always a way to find an overtaking opportunity around a track.
“But overall, the event itself is very cool. I mean, yes, they’ve done a great job.
“Also how quick, I think, they made the track available, the information that was shared for the simulator. So, from that sense, I think, yeah, it was very good. But in terms of, if you want to have better racing, overtaking, I think there can be a few corners that can be changed.”
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