Formula 1’s new Madrid circuit is already creating uncertainty among drivers, with Pierre Gasly predicting a red flag, Sergio Perez describing parts of the Madring as “a bit scary” and several competitors highlighting the lack of margin for error. The 22-corner venue makes its Formula 1 World Championship debut this weekend, leaving teams and drivers facing a track they have never previously raced on.
Formula 1 arrives in Spain, and more specifically Madrid, for a round that is already intimidating several drivers. The Madring is making its World Championship debut and nobody yet knows exactly how it will behave once Formula 1 cars begin pushing at full speed. With 22 corners, banking, heavy braking zones and energy management all playing a role, there are plenty of unanswered questions surrounding a circuit unlike anything the drivers have experienced before.
Madrid F1 circuit leaves most drivers entering the unknown
The circuit is completely new. Formula 3 drivers have already sampled it during a test, while in Formula 1, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are the only drivers to have driven a Formula 1 car there, following Ferrari’s filming day in July. For everybody else, the opening practice sessions will represent their first real discovery of the track in F1 machinery.
That unfamiliarity is one of the factors making Madring so disorientating. The circuit is new, distinctive and different enough from established Formula 1 venues that drivers do not yet know exactly what to expect when the weekend begins.
That is why teams have been working intensively with simulators and even video games to help their drivers become familiar with the layout. Max Verstappen was among those trying to learn the Madrid circuit at home, driving on a simulator using a controller rather than a steering wheel, and quickly discovered how difficult the experience could be.
“I have no idea where the track goes,” Max Verstappen said. “I hope that doesn’t happen in real life: I’m driving like a grandad, it’s terrible and demanding, I’ve hit loads of barriers. I’m all bruised. I think with a steering wheel I would have had a bit more control.”
Gasly predicts a red flag as Perez calls Madring ‘scary’
Max Verstappen’s experience reflects the thoughts of several Formula 1 drivers, who are intrigued but also somewhat concerned about what the Madrid circuit could produce.
For Kimi Antonelli, it is a complicated track where there is virtually no margin for error. Carlos Sainz was equally clear about the challenge: “It’s a very difficult circuit, somewhere between Jeddah, Baku and Macau.”
Pierre Gasly went a step further when asked for his expectations of the new Madrid street circuit. “I would bet on a red flag, 100%,” the Alpine driver said.
Sergio Perez was similarly direct about the impression he received in the simulator. “It’s a bit scary and it reminds me a bit of Jeddah. In the simulator I crashed into every wall.”
Why the new Madrid F1 circuit could produce interruptions
So what are the real dangers of the Madring? The fact that the circuit is completely new is already a challenge in itself because the drivers have no previous Grand Prix experience there. The layout also features barriers positioned close to the racing line and limited run-off areas, increasing the possibility of interruptions and red flags if cars hit the walls.
The asphalt is another unknown. With the venue completed close to the event, a dirty track surface with limited grip could make conditions particularly difficult, especially during the opening sessions as Formula 1 cars begin laying rubber onto the racing line.
George Russell also drew attention to the number of interruptions seen during the Formula 3 testing. “I was surprised there were only 20 red flags,” the Mercedes driver said.
The combination of close barriers, unfamiliar braking points and a completely new surface means drivers will have to build confidence progressively. The 2026 Formula 1 calendar has already provided several contrasting circuit challenges, but Madrid adds the additional complication of having almost no meaningful historical data for teams to work from.
Ferrari already sampled Madring with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Paradoxically, Ferrari could be the team best placed to benefit from the completely new circuit. In July, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton received the opportunity to use one of the filming days permitted by the regulations, running the SF-26 at Madring with a maximum allowance of 200 kilometres and Pirelli demonstration tyres.
The restrictions meant it was not a conventional Formula 1 test. Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were able to experience the circuit itself, its braking points, corners and general layout before their rivals drove an F1 car there.
Despite those limitations, the two Ferrari drivers will arrive with information gathered from real laps around the venue, while most of their competitors have so far relied primarily on simulation work. Whether that knowledge translates into a meaningful competitive benefit will become clearer once the cars take to the track in Madrid.
For now, the biggest theme surrounding Madring is uncertainty. Formula 1 faces a street-style circuit that is not a conventional urban track, with close walls, demanding sections and little room for mistakes. The drivers may have spent hours preparing virtually, but only the first practice sessions will reveal just how challenging Madrid’s newest Formula 1 venue really is.
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