Madrid is opening its doors to Formula 1 for the first time in 45 years, and the paddock has rolled into the Spanish capital with the electric energy of a high-stakes fiesta.
With a hybrid layout stringing public asphalt together with custom-built track sections, the all-new Madring promises high speeds, narrow walls, and a spectacular banked curve cheekily dubbed La Monumental.
Drivers have bene hard at work in their respective team’s simulators getting acquainted with the 15-corner beast ahead of Friday opening practice session. From local legends to midfield opportunists, the grid is bubbling over with anticipation for a weekend where no one holds a real-world home-turf advantage.
For Madrid-born Carlos Sainz, the arrival of F1 in his backyard is an unforgettable milestone. Serving as an ambassador for the circuit, Sainz was the very first driver to sample the tarmac in a road car while construction was still underway, observing that he “didn’t expect it to be so flowing, so wide.”
Returning to his hometown in race kit brings a whole new layer of sentiment.
“I’m for sure going to enjoy this a lot,” he told the media on Thursday.
“It’s going to be busy, but also emotional. I’m going to try and enjoy it as much as possible. It looks like the track has a character that is charismatic, with a lot of different types of corners.”
Countryman Fernando Alonso brings 25 years of Formula 1 experience to the occasion, yet the double world champion remains as starry-eyed as a rookie about racing twice on home soil in a single year.
“It's going to be a very nice weekend,” Alonso said. “We have this privilege to race two times in Spain this year, and for the very first time in Madrid. It is special.
“Also a new track, so it adds this challenge for everyone to learn the track as quick as possible in Free Practice. For me, it’s double special being in Spain.
“Madrid is one of the best cities in the world so to have a Grand Prix and to welcome F1 here is incredible. I think for any racing driver, to win in Madrid will mean a lot.
“It’s very technical, lots of kerb riding and a couple of high-speed sections where you need to get very close to the walls, which is very attractive and very high adrenaline for a driver – close to Jeddah.”
Fresh off a triumphant weekend in Monza where Alpine scored a shock pole position and a double-points finish, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto arrived in Madrid riding high. Gasly was quick to praise the sheer unpredictability of the design.
“The track itself on the simulator looked insane,” Gasly raved.
“To drive it was very fun – lots of technical and twisty corners. From everything I’ve heard, it’s definitely something very unique. So, big challenge, but I’m excited for this type of weekend where everything is brand new for everyone.
©Ferrari
“I think the challenge driving-wise should not be underestimated, because it’s 15 corners, and they’re absolutely crazy – with undulation, going up and down, banking, 90-degree corners, 180-degree corners, low speed, high speed – you name it, you’ve got a bit of everything.
“It’s exciting. As a driver, it feels like you’re going to have many opportunities around the lap to actually make these small gains everywhere. I think the track layout is something I’ve never seen before. I’m sure we’re going to have huge adrenaline in the car.”
For Colapinto, who spent time living in the Spanish capital during the formative years of his junior career, racing here feels like a warm homecoming.
“I’m really excited to be back here in Spain. Madrid does feel like the closest to home, I think especially because of my previous experiences and how I started in Europe – I started here in Madrid.
“To be racing here in F1 is a dream come true. I think it’s very good for the sport as well to have another big city like Madrid being back on the calendar, putting a very exciting track [together]. It looks like a very good one to drive. It’s going to be cool.”
Reactions across the rest of the grid echoed the sentiment. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez succinctly labelled it “a proper track,” while Haas driver Ollie Bearman pointed out that “new tracks are always incredibly fun for us”—knowing full well that street circuit chaos often throws up juicy point-scoring opportunities for midfield squads.
At the front of the pack, Mercedes’ George Russell is eyeing the weekend as a prime opportunity to return to the top step of the podium for the first time since Austria.
“It seems a wild track to be fair,” he admitted. “It's mental but excited to experience it. Going to be a real challenge and I think Qualifying is going to be important.
“The level of everyone in F1 is exceptionally high. It’s going to be a circuit where you need confidence. Very challenging, lots of high speed corners, aggressive kerbs. Going to be an experience for sure. Just try and keep out of the wall and build up to it.”
With barriers hungry for any slip-up and every team starting on a completely clean slate, Madrid's long-awaited F1 debut is set to deliver an unforgettable spectacle.
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