Ferrari has released the first official footage of the SF-26 running at the newly completed Madring circuit, making it the first Formula 1 car in history to lap the future home of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Ferrari makes its debut at the Madrid Grand Prix circuit
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both left particularly impressed by the new Spanish venue. Hamilton, the 41-year-old British champion, even spoke with Luis Garcia Abad—Fernando Alonso‘s longtime former manager and now head of the Madrid Spanish Grand Prix organising committee—to warn him about the immense physical forces drivers experience through the banked corner known as “La Monumental.”
Featuring an impressive 24% banking, the corner is unlike anything else currently seen in Formula 1 and is expected to become the Madring’s defining feature, much like Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps, the Becketts complex at Silverstone, or Suzuka’s legendary 130R.
The reason Ferrari was able to drive on Madrid’s semi-permanent circuit so early is already well known. On 9 July, the SF-26 completed its 200-kilometre filming day—the team’s second and final one of the 2026 season—at the brand-new venue. The event also took place at the request of the Spanish Grand Prix promoters, who needed a full-scale Formula 1 operation to thoroughly test the circuit’s safety systems and assess the venue’s readiness ahead of the expected crowds for the race weekend on 13 September.
Ferrari was more than happy to accept the invitation, as the outing also provided a valuable opportunity to collect telemetry data and begin preparing for the only circuit on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar where the current generation of cars had never previously turned a wheel.
Ferrari shares footage from the Madring test day
The filming day is now available for fans to watch. Scuderia Ferrari has published the first official video across its social media channels, showcasing a complete lap of the Madring assembled from multiple camera angles and separate runs by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton aboard the SF-26.
A first look at the Madring! 😮💨
Ride on board with Charles and Lewis for a full lap of F1’s newest track 👀 pic.twitter.com/MS8XPPVEaa
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) July 13, 2026
The footage finally brings the new circuit to life, allowing fans to see much more than the virtual simulations released so far. It highlights the track’s significant elevation changes, rapid direction changes, two underpasses, and, of course, the spectacular Monumental corner.
At first glance, the Madrid layout appears to combine elements of several modern Formula 1 venues. Its ultra-fast sections lined by close concrete barriers evoke memories of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, while parts of the third sector, where the track winds around the existing IFEMA exhibition complex, bear similarities to the former Sochi Autodrom.
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