The Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit delivered exactly the processional race that drivers had warned about before the weekend began.
Max Verstappen had already made his feelings clear on Saturday, telling Dutch media “just give me the track map” to signal his desire for sweeping changes to the layout.
Verstappen explained that driver consultation only happened at Jeddah after safety concerns emerged in its first year, but new circuits like the Madring simply bypass that process entirely.
Race winner Kimi Antonelli admitted the circuit works brilliantly over a single flying lap but creates near-impossible conditions for racing and overtaking.
“It definitely doesn’t create overtaking opportunities and it doesn’t push you to try and make a move, because 80% of the time you might have contact,” Antonelli said after taking victory.
The Mercedes driver and championship leader also warned that attempting a move at the second chicane would likely have ended in contact with Lando Norris and a wall.
“So, I think there are some corners that need to be changed to create more overtaking opportunities, because right now, yes, it’s nice over one lap, but for sure in the race you’re just stuck behind,” Antonelli added.
Gabriel Bortoleto was equally damning about the entertainment value, joking that he nearly dozed off himself when told that media centre observers had struggled to stay awake.
Oliver Bearman, who missed qualifying after a heavy crash in third practice, said the problems were obvious just from studying the circuit layout before the weekend began.
“You only have to look at the layout, and it’s quite clear that it’s going to be a poor track for racing,” the Haas driver told Autosport when questioned about the lack of overtaking moves.
Bearman identified two structural issues making attacking nearly impossible, with long combined exits hurting power delivery and combined entries making dangerous defending far too straightforward.
“We already said that to the FIA on Friday and we need to look into a way to make the track a bit more interesting for us, because it’s interesting to drive for sure, but in the race it’s very poor,” he said.
Alex Albon pointed to the junior categories as early proof of the circuit’s racing limitations, noting that if Formula 3 cars cannot overtake, nothing else will either across the weekend.
“I hope there’s open-mindedness to make some track changes for next year,” the Williams driver said, adding that only a couple of targeted modifications would largely fix the problem.
Albon specifically highlighted the Turn 3 to Turn 5 complex as the priority area, calling for straighter braking zones, removal of the chicane, and a slower, heavier braking zone at Turn 13.
Lando Norris targeted the final sector, arguing that Turns 18 and 19 serve no purpose and should be replaced by a longer straight feeding into a proper hairpin.
“I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes, ‘Mint,'” Norris said bluntly, comparing the ideal solution to the wide hairpin entries found at the Circuit of the Americas.
“The fact you have to turn and brake basically defeats the whole object of racing,” the reigning world champion continued, expressing hope that both simple and more complex changes will be made before 2027.
Bortoleto added a physical complaint about Turn 5, noting that absorbing the jump at that corner across fifty race laps creates significant discomfort for drivers throughout the grand prix.
Beyond the layout itself, drivers are also pushing for a shorter pitlane to encourage more strategic variation and give teams greater incentive to make additional stops during the race.