The Madring corner meant for overtaking did not work as its designer intended

The first Formula 1 race at Madring left one question dominating the discussion after the Spanish Grand Prix: why was overtaking so difficult on a circuit designed with several potential passing opportunities? Original circuit designer Jarno Zaffelli has now outlined how changes to Turn 5, the asphalt specification and the behaviour of the new 2026 cars all contributed to a race that produced less wheel-to-wheel action than expected.

Zaffelli, whose company was initially responsible for the Madrid circuit project before Tilke took over, explained to the Associated Press that the track ultimately raced in a form that differed in several respects from the original intentions. His assessment comes as organisers prepare to evaluate possible Madring changes for the 2027 Spanish Grand Prix following criticism of the inaugural weekend.

Why Madring Turn 5 did not become the planned overtaking zone

The most significant issue identified by Zaffelli concerns Turn 5. The corner had originally been conceived as one of the circuit’s principal overtaking opportunities, but the final configuration did not fully reflect the concept his team had developed.

He explained that seemingly minor alterations to elements such as banking angles, transitions measured in centimetres, kerb positioning and asphalt specification can substantially change how Formula 1 cars behave. In the case of Turn 5, Zaffelli pointed specifically to changes to the kerbs and the removal of a gravel run-off area that had been included in the original plan.

From his perspective, those alterations changed the intended dynamics of the corner and therefore affected the overtaking potential the design team had originally targeted. Turn 5 also became a talking point during the Spanish Grand Prix itself, with Carlos Sainz later criticising the way cars were funnelled together through that section after his contact with Fernando Alonso.

The incident between the two Spanish drivers added another layer to the debate over the corner. A separate account of Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso’s Turn 5 clash highlighted Sainz’s view that the geometry made side-by-side racing particularly difficult.

Carlos Sainz had requested a different Turn 5 radius

Zaffelli also revealed that Sainz had previously proposed a modification to the radius of Turn 5. His team intended to incorporate the change during November 2025, but the company ceased working on the Madring project in September of that year.

As a consequence, the planned adjustment was never carried out during construction. Zaffelli explained that the circuit builders retained the existing radius rather than implementing the smaller modification that had been discussed following Sainz’s input.

That detail is especially significant because the corner subsequently became one of the focal points of criticism after the first Grand Prix. The wider difficulties seen around Madring, including the compromises required by the cars through several sections, were also evident in the Spanish Grand Prix technical analysis.

Madring asphalt may have made following other cars harder

Turn 5 was not the only factor Zaffelli identified. He also questioned the asphalt used for the inaugural Formula 1 weekend, arguing that the surface encouraged drivers to manage their tyres rather than attack continuously.

In his assessment, the risk of graining meant drivers needed to protect the tyres, reducing how aggressively they could push and making it more difficult to remain close behind another car. If he were still responsible for the project, Zaffelli indicated that completely replacing the asphalt would be his first priority.

He would favour a surface less susceptible to graining and closer to the specification originally envisaged during the circuit’s development. Tyre management became one of several performance variables during the weekend, alongside setup compromises and the unusual characteristics of the new venue.

2026 Formula 1 cars changed the original Madring concept

The circuit designers also faced a factor that could not be fully anticipated when Madring was conceived: the behaviour of Formula 1’s new-generation 2026 machinery.

La Monumental provides the clearest example. The large elevated corner was initially intended to be taken flat out, allowing drivers to remain close in the slipstream before preparing an overtaking attempt later in the sequence.

During the actual Grand Prix weekend, however, some drivers reported needing to ease off through the corner to manage battery energy. That changed the intended flow of the section and reduced the effectiveness of one of the mechanisms the designers expected to help cars remain close together.

The same interaction between car characteristics, vertical loads and setup limitations also affected Ferrari, whose stiff SF-26 setup created a difficult Madring compromise during the weekend.

How much can Madring realistically change for 2027?

Following the criticism generated by the first Spanish Grand Prix at the venue, organisers have signalled that modifications are being considered. Event director Luis García Abad has also indicated that the FIA has already identified areas where improvements could be made, although the details have not been publicly disclosed.

Zaffelli does not expect a wholesale redesign. He explained that Madring was developed around numerous physical restrictions, including existing infrastructure and planned future buildings, rather than on an unrestricted site where corners could simply be moved or reshaped at will.

In his view, changing the asphalt could already produce a significant difference, while several smaller adjustments may also help. He also expects the racing characteristics to evolve if future cars and regulations allow drivers to push harder than they were able to during the inaugural weekend.

That makes the next phase important for a circuit committed to Formula 1 for the long term through a ten-year agreement. Madring’s first race exposed clear overtaking limitations, but the organisers, FIA and circuit stakeholders are already examining how the venue can evolve before Formula 1 returns to Madrid.

The debut therefore offered more than a first test of a new track. It revealed how small construction changes, tyre behaviour and an entirely new generation of Formula 1 cars can alter the way a circuit races compared with the intentions on the original design drawings.