The organizers of the future Madrid Formula 1 Grand Prix, expected next September, have unveiled new images of the massive construction work on the MadRing circuit.
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The MadRing, the name given to the future semi-urban circuit that will host F1 in September, is patiently taking shape in the suburbs of the Spanish capital.
Among the expected attractions on this new track, both drivers and the public should thrill at the passage of the “Monumental”.
A spectacular signature
Announced at 550 meters, this semi-circular parabolic curve will be the longest on the calendar with an extreme banking of 24 % at a maximum height of 10 meters. The single-seaters are expected to spend about six seconds in inclined support (illustration above).
This “monumental” turn has just received the first of its three layers of surfacing. The laying process is described by the circuit as “one of the greatest technical challenges of the entire project, requiring millimeter precision due to the geometric characteristics and the steep slope.”
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Two latest-generation pavers were used in synchronization to guarantee an optimal result. The dimensions of Turn 12 required more than 1.800 cubic meters of asphalt, the equivalent of covering the entire pitch of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, the home of Real Madrid, with a 25-centimeter thick layer!
Construction is progressing well
The asphalt for “La Monumental” is also 100 % made in Madrid, the circuit specifies. The mixture was produced at the Vicálvaro plant and was applied at a temperature close to 170 degrees, a critical condition that limits the application window to barely 30 minutes after production.
This constraint made the proximity of the plant essential to optimize logistics and guarantee final quality. The design of the surfacing also made it possible to optimize resources by reducing the thickness of the top layer and achieving a saving of about 20 % in materials. In addition to Turn 12, work is progressing on all phases of the project.
Asphalting of the other sections of the Valdebebas site continued at the end of March, and the second (intermediate) layer of asphalt is expected to be laid in April. Similarly, the structures of the future garages are already visible from outside the Pit Building: the MadRing continues its genesis in preparation for the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix.
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