The new Madrid circuit had its first real full-scale on-track rehearsal: Formula 3 drivers were able to discover the Madring and praised the track’s “old-school” character.
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The 19 red flags caused in two days also demonstrated that the new circuit, host of the next Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, hardly forgives errors.
These tests were not only meant to allow F3 cars to cover the 5.4 kilometers of the circuit for the first time. They also constituted a full-scale test for marshals, medical teams, recovery services, and all FIA procedures, just a few weeks before the Spanish Grand Prix.
A circuit that doesn’t forgive
According to AS, FIA Race Director Rui Marques traveled directly from Zandvoort to Madrid to supervise operations. The setup was substantial, with 120 marshals, 60 medical staff, nine ambulances, 23 firefighters, eight fire vehicles, and about thirty rescue and assistance vehicles.
Both days were particularly eventful. Nine red flags were caused on Monday, then ten more on Tuesday. The majority of incidents came from contact with concrete walls rather than genuine problems concerning circuit safety.
Conditions did not make the drivers’ task easy. Ongoing work around the track left a lot of dust on the surface, while the wind contributed to maintaining a relatively low grip level.
Rave reviews
The Madring seems to demand a lot of precision, with very little margin left for drivers in case of error.
A characteristic that immediately appealed to Freddie Slater (Trident), the Audi F1 protégé and leader of the FIA F3 championship, who set the best time on the first day: “I absolutely love everything about it. I think it’s incredible. It’s one of the best circuits I’ve ever driven on. All the best circuits, like Macau or Monaco, are those with character.”
The Briton also described the Madring as a formidable old-school circuit with interesting corners and a lot of character: “It’s probably one of the most fun circuits to drive on a single lap.”
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La Monumental, already a technical challenge
One of the main curiosities of the circuit is obviously the “La Monumental” curve, the impressive 550-meter long banked corner (photo above).
Formula 3 single-seaters reportedly already scraped the asphalt in this section due to the significant compression generated by the banking. A phenomenon that could become a real headache when Formula 1 cars take to the track.
Teams might notably be forced to adapt their ride height to avoid excessive floor wear. With single-seaters particularly sensitive to this parameter, finding the right compromise between performance and underbody protection could be one of the main technical challenges of the first Grand Prix held at the Madring.
F1 cars around 1’34?
In terms of lap times, Ugo Ugochukwu (Campos) set the best time on Tuesday with 1’49″034. Initial estimates suggest times around 1’34 for F1 cars, although the true benchmarks will obviously only be known once the single-seaters are on track.
Despite the 19 interruptions recorded in two days, the rehearsal seems to have satisfied the FIA. According to Mundo Deportivo, no particular problems were identified regarding safety procedures or the circuit’s ability to react to various incidents.
The bulk of the remaining work no longer directly concerns the track. Efforts will mainly focus on the infrastructures surrounding the circuit, including the paddock, garages, grandstands, and spectator areas.
The Madring has, in any case, passed its first real test. And judging by the drivers’ initial impressions, Formula 1 could discover a circuit in Madrid that is much less sanitized than some might have feared.
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