Drivers brace for 'scary' Madring: F1's most complicated new track

F1 drivers will tackle the brand-new Madring circuit for the first time on Friday, with many calling it the "most complicated" and "riskiest" track on the calendar. The first new venue in three years has already produced chaos in junior categories.

Why it matters:

The Madrid circuit's unforgiving layout — blind corners, close walls, and high-speed sections — could shape the championship weekend. With limited overtaking, qualifying becomes crucial, and crashes could disrupt the race.

The details:

• A two-day F3 test produced 19 red flags, prompting Williams boss James Vowles to call it "a track that kills cars."
• George Russell joked he was surprised there were only 19 red flags after his sim running, calling it "arguably the most risky circuit of the whole calendar."
• Alex Albon compared the track to Macau, citing "a lot of walls, a lot of high-speed corners, a lot of blind corners."
• Kimi Antonelli called it the "most complicated" track of the year, noting the challenge of finding a setup that works across chicanes, fast corners, and banked sections.
• Perez said it reminds him of Jeddah; Bottas called it a mix of Jeddah and Baku.

Between the lines:

Overtaking will be difficult. Perez predicts it will be "closer to Singapore," while Bearman believes the curved braking zone into Turn 5 "takes away any possibility of different lines." Albon worries drivers can defend easily by "putting the car in the middle of the track," making it more about energy deployment than braking battles.

What's next:

Drivers expect the track to "ramp up" like Monaco, with laptimes dropping as confidence grows. Honda's chief engineer warned teams not to panic in FP1, as qualifying will be a "big step" from practice. With zero margin for error, Saturday's qualifying could define the Spanish Grand Prix.