George Russell is already asking for changes to the Madring after a grueling Spanish Grand Prix marked by a lack of overtaking.
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The Madring will have to evolve before Formula 1 returns in 2027. This is at least the wish expressed by George Russell after discovering the new Madrid circuit in race conditions. The Mercedes driver did not appreciate certain characteristics of the track, to the point of finishing the 57 laps with a headache.
Fifth at the finish while he believed he had a significantly better pace than his final result, Russell mainly points to the lack of real overtaking opportunities. An observation already made by Max Verstappen during the weekend and largely confirmed by a race where position changes were particularly difficult.
“They have to change something”
The new Spanish circuit has 22 corners, but very few really allow for setting up an attack. The main opportunity is at turns 5 and 6, after the longest straight on the track.
The problem notably comes from the curved approach to the braking zone, followed by a quick left-right-left sequence. Unlike circuits offering heavy braking at the end of a long straight, the Madring does not easily allow a driver to get alongside their opponent.
Russell believes a modification is essential before the next edition of the Grand Prix.
“They have to do something, they have to make a change. Every circuit must offer at least one overtaking opportunity after a sufficiently long section.”
The Brit acknowledges that some corners represent a real challenge behind the wheel, but that is not enough in his opinion to compensate for the track’s flaws.
“Here, we have a tight chicane and corners that are a real challenge, but it’s not enjoyable.”
Curbs cause Russell discomfort
The lack of overtaking is not the only complaint made by the Mercedes driver. Russell was also physically tested by the many aggressive passes over the curbs.
The cars have to climb them repeatedly to maximize their speed in certain sequences, which transmits violent shocks to the driver. Repeated throughout the entire Grand Prix, this phenomenon eventually left its mark.
“After almost 60 laps hitting these curbs, I had a bit of a headache at the end.”
This comment echoes criticisms made during the weekend regarding the particularly bumpy nature of certain sections of the Madring. Verstappen had also requested that several elements of the track be reviewed, notably to improve the quality of battles on track.
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A disappointing result despite good pace
Russell also had some sporting regrets. Starting sixth, he chose hard tires for his first stint and extended his strategy, before making a second stop later in the race.
The Brit nevertheless believes that hard tires were clearly the best choice. Continuing with mediums would have been a big gamble without necessarily allowing him to achieve a better result.
“The hard tire was by far the best. Continuing with the mediums would have been a big gamble, but in the end, I thought I had nothing to lose.”
Russell thinks, however, that a different strategy probably would not have changed his fifth place.
“I think I would have finished in the same position no matter what, so it’s a bit of a shame. It’s an extremely difficult circuit for overtaking and I imagine it was quite frustrating for everyone.”
“Our performance was much better than the result”
The fifth place is all the harder to accept because Russell considers that Mercedes had excellent pace in Madrid. His teammate Kimi Antonelli confirmed this by winning the race and securing his eighth victory of the season.
Russell even believes he showed one of the best paces on the grid during the Grand Prix, without being able to truly exploit it due to his position on track.
“Our performance was much better than our result. I think our pace was really very solid, among the best of everyone on track, so that’s the main positive point I take away.”
The Madring ultimately reminded him of another circuit where grid position heavily influences the Sunday result.
“It was almost like Monaco in terms of the importance of qualifying.”
This fifth place also costs Russell dearly in the championship. With Antonelli’s victory, his gap to his teammate now stands at 81 points. One more reason to regret his qualifying, but also to demand modifications on a circuit where having better pace clearly does not always suffice to overtake.
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