Ferrari to Get Early Run on New Madrid F1 Track with Filming Day

Ferrari will gain an early advantage at Formula 1's newest venue by running its SF-26 at the Madrid circuit during a promotional filming day later this week. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are expected to participate, giving the team a valuable first look at the track layout and surface characteristics well before the Spanish Grand Prix arrives in September.

Why it matters:

Under the current regulatory framework, corner grip levels directly affect energy management strategies, making even brief early track knowledge a meaningful competitive edge. The Madrid layout features the La Monumental banked corner, where unusual vertical and lateral loads could prove critical for car set-up and ride height decisions. Real-world data from this outing will help Ferrari refine its simulations and establish more accurate baseline setups, particularly at a venue no team has yet raced on.

The details:

• The session is classified as a Promotional Event, one of two allowed annually. Ferrari used its first at Monza in April, leaving the Madrid run as its final 2026 allowance.
• Running is capped at 200 kilometers, and the car must run on special tires specifically designed for filming days rather than standard race compounds.
• Unlike Testing of Previous Cars (TPC), Promotional Events carry no restrictions on running at new or heavily modified circuits. TPC rules explicitly ban testing at venues that did not host a race in the immediately preceding year.
• The regulations will tighten further for 2027, extending that restriction to circuits absent from the calendar in the previous two years.
• TPC running is also prohibited entirely within 60 days of a Grand Prix, limitations that do not apply to promotional outings.

What's next:

While speeds will fall short of true Grand Prix pace, the data remains invaluable for a team chasing marginal gains. As Ferrari prepares for the September 11-13 Spanish Grand Prix, this early access could provide a decisive head start. With rivals unable to match this level of pre-event reconnaissance under current testing limits, Maranello is positioning itself to arrive in Madrid with a clearer understanding of the challenges ahead.