F1 Spanish GP: Drivers Call for Changes to New Madring Circuit

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead with a calculated victory at the 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix. After several brief encounters with track limits in the opening laps, Antonelli waited patiently for the race's conditional leader Charles Leclerc to make his first pit stop before taking the lead. 

The 20-year-old Italian driver displayed to everyone the composure he needs to bag the championship this season. We won't take that away from the young, talented racer.

But the Sunday race at Circuito de Madring was nothing short of a snoozefest, with drivers finding it very difficult to overtake. It was a disappointment, given that the Madring came into the weekend with a scary reputation. We saw a Formula 3 test session producing 19 red flags.

Instead, there were no red flags on Sunday (that's good), with just one Virtual Safety Car deployed when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll crashed into the barriers on Lap 15. 

So, it doesn't surprise us that F1 drivers are already calling for "obvious changes" to the new track.

McLaren's Lando Norris, who lost the lead of the race when he failed to pit under the Virtual Safety Car, said that the track could do without Turns 18 and 19. The reigning World Champion wants a long straight, where drivers can go flat out and potentially overtake into a hairpin-like corner in Turn 20.

Still, Norris says that the track itself has a lot of potential. He's very excited to return to the Madring in 2027, especially if it incorporates the changes that drivers want.

Mercedes driver George Russell, who finished P5, pointed out that the Madring just doesn't give them "clean enough opportunities" to make overtakes. 

Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli, who won the race, had the same sentiment. The championship leader said that drivers were cautious about trying to overtake because "80% of the time", they might make contact or maybe even brush the wall.

Just like in Monaco, track position became extremely important at Madrid. We saw Ferrari's Charles Leclerc hold on to the lead for 32 laps despite his very old hard tyres. Eventually, the Monegasque driver had to pit on Lap 48 because it is mandatory for drivers to use different tyre compounds in a single race.

Even though it is a hybrid street circuit, the track can still make changes that will make it easier for drivers to try to overtake. They could draw inspiration from Baku, where the grid will race next, from September 24 to 26.