F1 Drivers React to Testing the Madring Circuit in Their Simulators

The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix will see the Formula One grid returning to the Madrid region after a 45-year wait. But a new, maddening track is waiting for them, with the Madring circuit sure to deliver fireworks this weekend. 

The newest circuit in the F1 calendar is a twisty one that's similar to the likes of Jeddah, Baku, and Macau. It has that street circuit feel that makes qualifying on Sunday more important.

Oh, and the early consensus is this: the Madring looks much harder to drive than it does on paper. At this point, the F1 drivers have already tested the track on their simulators. Let's look back at their "crazy" reactions, starting with the home heroes.

The home hero has more exposure to the circuit than anyone on the grid. As a Madring ambassador and Madrid native, Sainz has already driven part of the unfinished track in a road car before. Plus, he has spent a substantial amount of time testing the circuit in the Williams simulator.

Sainz's reaction: "I think we've all done it in the DIL in the simulator, and we've seen the F3 test. And yeah, talking to the drivers at the parade, everyone seemed quite shocked by the track that Madrid has come up with, which, I think, in a good way, gives character and something to look forward to."

The Spanish driver will surely want to perform better here. If he can't fight for points, the home crowd would want to see him advance to Q2 or Q3 on Saturday.

The entire F1 community, not just the grandstand at Spain, is hoping for Alonso to at least cross the checkered flag on Sunday. The AMR26 has been very unreliable (and slow) this season, and it has caused five DNFs for the two-time World Champion. Still, the 45-year-old Spanish driver is looking forward to racing in the Madring.

Alonso's reaction: “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.”

Russell is coming off a disappointing Italian Grand Prix, where he was beaten by his fast-charging teammate Kimi Antonelli. He is now 66 points behind in the Drivers' Championship, making this weekend at Madrid more important for his title aspirations.

Russell's reaction: “I heard about the 19 red flags in F3, and I was a bit surprised. Then, after I drove it on the sim, I was surprised there were only 20 red flags. It's a crazy circuit."

The reigning World Champion has found his form recently, winning back-to-back races in Hungary and the Netherlands. Most importantly, it seems like the development on the MCL40 is headed in the right direction. Let's see if they can keep the momentum going at Madrid.

Norris's reaction: "We have a lot of blind corners. A lot of the corners you cannot see around, so it's difficult to predict things. This just makes it always a bigger challenge inside the cockpit of a car – the fact that you cannot see more than 50% of a corner at the end of one time."

Gasly is looking to duplicate his fine performance in the Italian GP, that is, if the Alpine car comes to terms with the new Madring track. The Frenchman, who achieved his first pole position in F1 last weekend, is already excited to drive in the new circuit.

Gasly's reaction: “The track itself on the simulator looked insane. To drive it was very fun. It has 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."

Fresh off that rousing P19 to P1 finish at Monza, Antonelli is looking to extend his championship lead at Madrid. The 20-year-old driver knows that the new circuit presents new challenges, especially in figuring out the corners at Madring.

Antonelli's reaction: “Driving-wise, you've got all kind of corners, you've got chicanes, fast corners, banked corners, medium speed. It's also complicated on the engineering side, because I think finding a set-up that is a good compromise for the whole lap is not going to be easy."