Max Verstappen has little patience for excuses – and the Red Bull driver has already identified one he believes should have no place in discussions about fixing the Madring.
Formula 1’s new Madrid street circuit may have delivered plenty of spectacle away from the track, but its racing credentials are facing a rather more awkward examination.
In the run-up to Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, drivers struggled to identify convincing overtaking opportunities around a layout dominated by fast, flowing corners and awkward braking zones.
Verstappen, who qualified third behind Lando Norris and Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, believes the problem is obvious – and, more importantly, fixable.
“I like the grip. They did a good job with the tarmac, even though in some places it’s a bit too bumpy already for a new track,” said Verstappen.
That praise, however, quickly gave way to a much less charitable assessment of the circuit’s racing potential.
“The corners, you can’t overtake. In some places, the braking zones, they need to learn that it should never be that you have to steer, that you have to combine under braking, because it doesn’t allow any kind of overtaking,” he added.
“So for sure, in terms of track design, I think it can be better. I think also input from drivers in the future on track design can also help a lot. I know they will always come back to you and say, ‘Yeah, but the space,’ but that’s BS. There’s always a way to find an overtaking opportunity around a track.”
In other words, Verstappen isn't buying the idea that Madrid's physical constraints make meaningful changes impossible.
Verstappen wants the layout challenged
The Madring has been designed to be fast, distinctive and visually spectacular, with elevation changes, heavily cambered sections and a combination of permanent and temporary track infrastructure giving the venue a character of its own.
But character does not necessarily produce overtaking. And Verstappen believes several corners could be reconsidered without sacrificing what makes the circuit interesting.
“Overall, the event itself is very cool. They’ve done a great job. Also how quick they made the track available, the information that was shared for the simulator. So, from that sense, I think, yeah, it was very good,” he said.
“But in terms of, if you want to have better racing, overtaking, I think there can be a few corners that can be changed.”
That could become a particularly important conversation if Sunday’s race confirms the fears circulating throughout the paddock.
Verstappen himself sees little reason for optimism from third on the grid, even if his RB22 turns out to have the pace required to pressure Norris at the front.
Asked whether he could realistically challenge the polesitter for victory, the four-time world champion immediately pointed towards the elephant sitting squarely in Madrid’s racing room.
“It will be tough. I mean, even best case scenario and you're faster, you can't pass. There are no corners where you can pass so you need to rely on people degging very aggressively.
"The long runs were very tough, a lot of deg for everyone, so that will probably be the key point tomorrow. But even with that I need to still figure out a corner where to pass."
It is a damning assessment from a driver who has made an art form out of finding gaps where others see none.
Norris sees room for improvement too
Verstappen is not alone in thinking the Madring can be sharpened up.
Reigning F1 world champion Lando Norris, who will start from pole and therefore has the best possible view of the problem from the front of the field, also sees merit in tweaking the layout for future editions of the Spanish Grand Prix.
“I think this track has a lot of character from elevation and cambered corners, off-cambered corners. So, I think it’s a good thing, adds to it, it’s something different,” the McLaren driver said.
Norris nevertheless believes some of that distinctive character could actually be used to make the racing better.
“Cambered corners normally allow you to follow better. So, I think next year more corners should be a bit more cambered, especially if the overtaking is difficult,” he said.
“Some corners can be tweaked to make the racing better. But it’s a fun corner. It could just be better.”
That may ultimately be the Madring’s most useful verdict after its first qualifying session: there is plenty to like, but there is also plenty to fix.
And if Verstappen gets his way, “there’s no space” will not be allowed to become the convenient answer whenever someone asks why the racing cannot be improved.
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