Formula 3 has returned to the track after the summer break for a crucial two-day test at Madring, giving drivers, teams and the FIA their first major opportunity to evaluate Madrid’s new circuit under genuine multi-car running conditions before the 2026 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
The official FIA Formula 3 test is taking place on 24 and 25 August, shortly before the championship’s season finale. More significantly for Formula 1, it represents Madring’s largest and most realistic operational trial before the Spanish Grand Prix is held from 11 to 13 September.
FIA Formula 3 Madring test schedule
Track activity begins at 09:00 local time on both days, although the afternoon schedules are slightly different. On the opening day, the afternoon session starts at 14:00 and concludes with the chequered flag at 16:50.
The break is shorter on the second day, with the afternoon session beginning at 13:00 and ending at 15:50. The programme gives Formula 3 teams and drivers valuable time to understand a completely new circuit before returning to Madrid for the final event of their season.
Madring has entered the final phase of preparations for its Formula 1 debut, with the F3 running identified as a crucial operational test before the main Grand Prix weekend.
Why the Madring test is crucial for the 2026 Spanish GP
Following Ferrari’s filming day on 9 July, this is the first genuine official FIA session involving a large number of single-seaters at the new circuit. During that earlier promotional event, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completed 200 kilometres at Madring in the Ferrari SF-26.
The Formula 3 test provides a much broader examination of the venue because repeated running by multiple cars places more representative demands on the circuit and its operational systems. It is effectively the final major rehearsal before Formula 1 arrives for Madring’s historic first Spanish Grand Prix.
Race control and FIA officials can use the two days to assess real safety standards around the circuit. This includes checking whether the kerbs can withstand the repeated loads generated by the cars, ensuring the light panels work correctly at every point and confirming that marshals have been positioned appropriately at their designated posts.
Formula 3 provides vital track and tyre information
The test also has direct technical value for Formula 1. Formula 3 shares information about the nature and condition of the track surface with F1, offering the Grand Prix teams their first useful estimates of grip levels, tyre degradation and the rate at which the racing line becomes cleaner.
Although Formula 3 cars differ significantly from Formula 1 machinery, the accumulated running can still provide an important initial picture of how Madring’s new asphalt evolves as more rubber is deposited. That information will help teams begin forming expectations before the circuit makes its debut on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
Formula 3 tackles Madring’s Monumental corner
The videos from the opening day focus on the highly anticipated Monumental corner. The banked section extends for approximately 550 metres and features an inclination of 13.5 degrees, with a maximum gradient of 24.5 per cent.
Its length and banking make it one of Madring’s defining features, while the Formula 3 test provides the first opportunity to see a full field of single-seaters repeatedly tackling the corner under official FIA running conditions.
Watch the first video from the Formula 3 Madring test
Watch more Formula 3 action through Madring’s Monumental corner
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