The Last New Track in F1
Do you remember the spectacular drain-cover accident involving Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari at the last new F1 track, Las Vegas, in 2023?
It was an extremely dangerous and serious mistake by the organisers that, fortunately, neither injured the driver nor resulted in a much bigger crash or potential fire.
To avoid a repeat in Madrid race promoters have staged an F3 test to run through the track operations, systems and procedures and, hopefully, uncover any problems before F1 arrives.
So, what type of track is Madring?
Well, there are more corners than straights, which should suit the current Energy Formula. Most of the corners are short-radius, with two main exceptions.
At the moment, tyre degradation is the big unknown, while strategy is expected to remain flexible depending on how often the race is interrupted.
The biggest concern, however, seems to be whether drivers will actually be able to overtake each other. Current simulations suggest a very high probability of a processional race.
This weekend brings the F3 title showdown, F2 penultimate round (expected to be officialy confirmed tomorrow) and, of course, the inaugural F1 race in Madrid. 🏎️🇪🇸
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Can Ferrari Bounce Back at Madring?
It is absolutely possible.
Ferrari made plenty of headlines for all the wrong reasons at Monza, but everyone involved is more than capable of sorting things out — and we can be pretty sure they will.
Then we need to look at the car and the track-specific factors.
Ferrari have already used their two engine-update opportunities for the season and are expected to be much closer to Mercedes’ power units than they were pre-Monza. On top of that, Ferrari are widely perceived to have one of the best chassis, while GPS data consistently shows them among the fastest cars through the corners.
And Madring could play directly into those strengths.
There are more corners than straights, with only two significant Straight Mode sections. Ferrari are also the only team with some real-world data from the circuit, following a filming day earlier this season.
Yes, running and tyre usage are heavily limited on a filming day, but even that small amount of real-world running can provide valuable data for wind-tunnel and simulator calibration.
Then there is another interesting factor: Madring has very little room for error. With almost no safety zones, incidents are expected — putting even more emphasis on driver experience.
And that is certainly another Ferrari advantage.
We wait and see. 🏎️🇮🇹🏆
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Alonso’s secret weapon
It probably won’t come as a big surprise that the most experienced driver in F1 is expected to start his home Grand Prix with a specific advantage over his rivals — but perhaps not for the obvious reasons.
After his first spell in F1, Alonso tried his luck at the Indy 500, giving him valuable experience on oval tracks. And that could prove surprisingly useful at Madring.
The track features La Monumental, the most heavily banked corner in F1, with 24% banking.
This very unusual section offers both a high and low line, which could become extremely useful when fighting for position.
The only comparable sections on the current F1 calendar are at Zandvoort — Turn 3, with its short radius, and the much longer-radius Turn 14.
So perhaps Alonso has a little more experience for Madring than most of his rivals realise. 🏎️🇪🇸
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Tomorrow, best. 🏎️