Madrid GP F1 circuit designer addresses criticism about track layout. The designer of the Madrid circuit has addressed the possibility of hosting the inaugural GP at night.

Jarno Zaffelli, the designer of the Madrid circuit, has addressed the possibility of hosting the inaugural GP at night, responding to criticisms about the chosen layout.

The Madrid GP was officially confirmed only a few days ago, but the project has already faced various criticisms, one of which concerns the chosen layout for hosting the Spanish capital’s return to Formula 1. It is undeniable that the configuration envisioned and approved by Jarno Zaffelli will make overtaking quite challenging, given the absence of long straights and demanding braking zones to execute an attack. However, the Emilian engineer seems to have a different opinion.

Jarno Zaffelli covers various aspects, from overtaking concerns to the night race possibility.

“If you look at what the simulator says, you get 3 or 4 overtaking points,” stated the CEO of Dromo in an interview with El Espanol. “For Fernando Alonso’s style, there will be 4 or 5. There’s turn five before the tunnel, turn 12 before the first rear section, turn 14 in the pavilion. There will be overtaking; I believe it will depend more on the new regulations.”

Zaffelli is certainly not inexperienced, having left his mark on some of the most renowned circuits globally, including Spa, Mugello, Sepang, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. The engineer has also worked on the design of several MotoGP circuits, including Termas de Rio Hondo and Mandalika.

“The difficulty of this project comes from all the illusions that have been generated,” Zaffelli added. “The level is high, and we will live up to it.”

“We have the opportunity to do something different from what is available elsewhere. We are still trying to harness the full potential of this circuit, but to know how far we can go, we need to know the new technical regulations for 2026.”

In recent months, there has been talk of the possibility of holding the Madrid GP at night, which would allow the capital to host the first historic Grand Prix in Europe at night. However, Zaffelli immediately dismissed this option as unnecessary.

“Not at this moment. The idea of racing at night is an idea that Formula 1 uses to deal with the time zones of America and Asia. It is done to favor the European hour, and we are in Europe. At this point, it doesn’t make sense to have a night race. Is it possible? If it’s possible. We have already developed plans to do it, and it is within our projects, but it’s not the goal.” – he concluded.