Ferrari personnel were concerned that Madring would not be ready for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton sampled the new Madrid circuit during a private filming day in July. Two months later, however, the Maranello team was impressed by how quickly organisers had completed the work required to stage Formula 1’s visit.
Ferrari enjoyed an unusual advantage before the inaugural race by becoming familiar with the venue well ahead of the rest of the Grand Prix weekend. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton drove the SF-26 for a combined 200 kilometres during the filming day, giving both drivers their first experience of the new track surface and layout while construction around the venue was still progressing.
Ferrari’s Madring test initially raised Spanish GP concerns
Madring had faced considerable scrutiny during its development, particularly over whether construction would be completed in time for the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari’s visit in July did little to remove those concerns initially, with members of the team leaving Madrid unsure whether everything could be finished before Formula 1 returned in September.
Hamilton had also raised concerns about the circuit itself during the private running, including the compressions generated by the Madring layout. However, the more immediate question following Ferrari’s early visit concerned the amount of work still required around the venue and whether organisers had enough time to complete it.
The Spanish Grand Prix ultimately went ahead as scheduled. Although the circuit subsequently attracted criticism over the limited opportunities for overtaking, the progress made between Ferrari’s filming day and the race weekend left members of the Italian team impressed.
The venue will not remain completely unchanged, with three Madring corners set to be modified for 2027 following the overtaking difficulties encountered during the inaugural Grand Prix.
Antonio Lobato reveals Ferrari’s reaction to Madring transformation
Spanish Formula 1 commentator Antonio Lobato explained via SoyMotor that the reaction to the Madrid event was broadly positive throughout the paddock. He indicated that paddock personnel and media members had generally left satisfied and surprised by what had been achieved at the new venue.
Lobato recalled that Ferrari personnel had specifically discussed their experience from July, when Leclerc and Hamilton completed the filming day. According to the Spanish commentator, the team had departed that initial visit worried about the amount of unfinished work and doubtful that organisers would be able to complete everything in time.
By the Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari’s assessment had changed significantly. Lobato explained that team members were amazed by the speed at which the work had been completed, the effort required to achieve it and the final result delivered by the organisers.
Team principal Fred Vasseur also recognised the achievement after the race. Lobato recalled that Vasseur used a live appearance on DAZN to express his thanks and congratulate those in Madrid responsible for getting the event ready, describing what they had accomplished as remarkable.
Ferrari’s Spanish GP ends with contrasting results
The positive assessment of the event itself came despite a difficult outcome for Ferrari on track. Lewis Hamilton retired from the Spanish Grand Prix because of a brake failure, with Ferrari subsequently identifying the cause of Hamilton’s problem at Madring.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, finished fourth. The Monegasque temporarily moved into the lead after staying out rather than pitting during the Virtual Safety Car period, committing to a long stint on the hard tyres before eventually making his stop and dropping out of the podium positions.
That strategic sequence formed part of a race in which tyre behaviour, pace and the characteristics of the new circuit all played important roles. A wider examination of Ferrari’s performance is available in the Spanish GP technical analysis.
Ferrari’s experience therefore produced two very different impressions of Formula 1’s new Madrid venue. The July filming day left personnel questioning whether the circuit could be completed on schedule, while the finished event two months later prompted praise from within the team for the speed and scale of the work carried out before the Spanish Grand Prix.
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