Thanks to its filming day organized in July on the new Madrid circuit, Ferrari has a slight advantage over its rivals before the first Spanish Grand Prix which will take place there in September.
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Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton covered the 200 kilometers allowed by FIA regulations at the wheel of the SF-26, equipped with Pirelli demonstration tires, while the track was still under construction.
The Monegasque admitted that the conditions were far from ideal: “I did a few laps behind a Stelvio, or whatever the model of that car is. Obviously, the circuit was still under construction. There was a lot of work left and the track was very dirty.”
A promising layout
Despite this, Leclerc left with a very positive impression: “But the circuit looks really nice, and I love street circuits. I felt that it was a very demanding street circuit, with all the features I appreciate. I really look forward to discovering it under good conditions during the race weekend.”
The Madring, 5.416 kilometers long and composed of 22 corners, includes several tunnels, significant changes in elevation as well as its future highlight: La Monumental, a huge 547-meter right-hand corner, banked at 24°, which is the maximum slope allowed by the FIA (photo above). Drivers should experience about 4G there for nearly six seconds.
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Asked about the potential of this corner to become as iconic as Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps or Maggotts-Becketts at Silverstone, Leclerc did not hide his enthusiasm: “It’s a really very special corner. I think in qualifying, you will have to be – I’ll say it politely – extremely brave, because we will be on the limit. I think it will be a really spectacular corner and I believe it can become one of the most iconic corners of the season, especially when the grandstand is built. That will add even more to its character.”
Not comparable to the banking of Zandvoort
Comparisons were quickly made with the banked corners of Zandvoort, but Leclerc believes the two situations are different: “The last corner of Zandvoort is taken flat out. Maybe corner 3 is a better comparison, even if it is slower. At the Madring, at least for now, it doesn’t seem possible to take it flat out. During testing, I was far from that, mainly because of all the dust on the track.”
Finally, the Ferrari driver thinks this new layout should naturally suit him: “I like street circuits in general, so I have very little doubt that I will enjoy the Madring. Will it perfectly match my driving style? I don’t know yet. One thing is certain, you have to commit 100%, and that’s exactly what I like about street circuits.”
We will see to what extent Scuderia can take advantage of this cleverly orchestrated shakedown in the greatest secrecy when Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton complete the first laps in free practice: unfair advantage? In any case, the data collected by Pirelli was indirectly provided to all competitors in the pre-race briefing by the Italian manufacturer.
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