Ferrari carries out first F1 test at new Madrid circuit ahead of September debut

Ferrari has become the first Formula 1 team to run at the all-new Madrid street circuit, sending Charles Leclerc out in the SF-26 for a promotional filming day. The Scuderia used one of its two allocated 200km filming days to give the 22-corner layout its first taste of current machinery, with Lewis Hamilton reportedly due to take over later in the afternoon. The outing comes just two months before the track is set to make its race debut as the new home of the Spanish Grand Prix in September.

Why it matters:

• The event marks F1's return to Madrid for the first time in 45 years, with the Jarama circuit having last hosted a Grand Prix in 1981.
• The Madring replaces the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on a 10-year deal, fundamentally changing the nature of a longstanding calendar staple.
• Built around the IFEMA Exhibition Centre, the new street layout promises a fresh challenge and a distinctly different test compared to the high-speed familiarity of Barcelona.

The details:

• Leclerc ran the SF-26 over the 5.416km layout on a surface still dusty from ongoing construction work, completing a portion of Ferrari's permitted 200km allowance.
• La Monumental: Turn 12 is the circuit's self-proclaimed signature feature, a 550-meter banked right-hander with a 24% gradient and an undulating profile.
  • It is set to become the longest continuous banked corner in Formula 1, designed to encourage side-by-side racing by letting drivers run different lines to avoid dirty air.
  • Circuit ambassador Carlos Sainz previously sampled the layout in a road car and likened the concept to Zandvoort's banking, predicting the section will be "epic."
• Organizers are pushing to complete construction and secure final FIA homologation before teams arrive for the inaugural race.

What's next:

The Spanish Grand Prix is locked in for September 11-13, leaving a narrow window for final preparations.

• The dusty track surface Leclerc encountered indicates there is still work to be done before the venue meets race-weekend standards.
• Once homologated, the Madring will face the ultimate baptism of fire in hosting its first Grand Prix, with Ferrari already holding a small advantage after collecting the first proper running data on the new layout.