Madrid Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc shares his first impressions of the new street track. Charles Leclerc shares his first impressions of Formula 1's new Madrid street circuit, explaining why the spectacular banked .

Last week, Charles Leclerc had the opportunity to get an early look at the street circuit that will host the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The Ferrari driver completed several laps during the team’s filming day on the circuit, which is still under construction.

His first impressions suggest a demanding layout that is currently extremely dusty because of the ongoing works, but one with a very distinctive character and plenty of potential. “I did a few laps behind a Stelvio on the circuit while it was still under construction. There was a lot of dirt on the track and it was difficult to push to the limit, but it looks like a really fantastic and very challenging street circuit,” the Ferrari driver said during the Belgian Grand Prix media conference.

The most spectacular and widely discussed feature of the future Spanish venue will be its heavily banked corner, known as “La Monumental.” The section is expected to become one of the defining features of the Formula 1 calendar and will demand exceptional commitment from the drivers.

Charles Leclerc was asked to compare it with the famous banked corners at Zandvoort. “The final corner at Zandvoort is actually taken flat out, and Turn 3 is really fantastic, but it’s slower. At Madrid, at least for now, the banked corner doesn’t look like one you can take flat out. During the test I was very, very far from taking it flat, mainly because there was so much dust on the track. It’s a really special corner where, in qualifying, you’ll need to be extremely brave because you’ll really be driving on the limit. I think it could become one of the most iconic corners of the entire championship, especially once the grandstands are completed,” Charles Leclerc said ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.