Formula 1 debuts the Madrid street circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend
The track layout features 23 corners and spans city roads and countryside connected by highway tunnels
Formula 3 testing ahead of the event resulted in 19 red flags and five destroyed chassis
Formula 1 brings the Spanish Grand Prix to the capital this weekend at the newly constructed Madrid street circuit. Located within city limits in the north-eastern suburbs, the venue follows a strategy of building street circuits in high-profile international cities. Much like additions in Miami and Las Vegas, the site was designed to maximize corporate hospitality opportunities. This focus on accessibility via the nearby airport and metro station allows for high fan attendance without the logistical delays common at rural European tracks. High-end hospitality options include two prime pit garages located between the Red Bull and Mercedes teams reserved for a Gordon Ramsey restaurant.
The track operates as a hybrid of environments. Half of the circuit runs on active roads around the IFEMA exhibition complex while the rest sits in the surrounding countryside. Connecting these sections required routing the cars underneath a dividing highway through a pair of tunnels. Drivers navigate 23 corners, a figure evaluated by Lando Norris in a simulator. McLaren boss Andrea Stella stated that the layout features more corners and high-speed chicanes than the street track in Jeddah. A signature feature called La Monumental was engineered to be bigger and faster than the banking at Zandvoort.
Aggressive track design produced consequences during recent testing. A two-day Formula 3 test at the Madrid street circuit resulted in 19 red flags and five entirely written-off chassis. Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur noted that the track surface was noticeably bumpy during those sessions. Alex Albon likened the unforgiving layout to Macau and predicted that there will be no overtaking during the race. With Formula 2 and Formula 3 races on the weekend schedule, the barriers are likely to see heavy action.
Ferrari is the only team holding real-world mileage at the track heading into the weekend. The Scuderia used one of its two seasonal filming days to run Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on Pirelli demo tires across a dirty track surface. Carlos Sainz Jr. has also been involved in promoting the Madrid street circuit on his home turf. On-track action officially begins with practice on Friday.
