Lawson: Madrid's Blind Corners Will 'Throw' Drivers Into the Wall

Liam Lawson has explained how a simple mistake at the new Madrid circuit could see F1 drivers 'thrown straight at the wall' during this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull stand-in, filling in for the injured Isack Hadjar, says the 22-turn semi-street track is 'sketchy' and 'very technical,' with blind corners and narrow walls leaving little room for error.

Why it matters:

The Madring makes its F1 debut this weekend, and driver feedback is already painting a picture of a demanding circuit that could produce surprises. With walls lining the track and several blind entries, qualifying and race laps will require precision, and mistakes could lead to safety car periods or retirements.

The details:

• Lawson studied footage from a recent F3 test to understand the track, particularly the tricky Turns 5-6 chicane at the end of the first DRS zone.
• The chicane trap: 'If you take too much of the first kerb, it'll bounce you across the second kerb, which will then just bounce you over the wall,' Lawson said. The braking zone is also curved, making lock-ups and energy management a challenge.
• Jeddah comparison: Lawson says the circuit shares similarities with Jeddah's blind, fast-flowing corners, but 'it's not somewhere I feel like has a lot of flow. It's very technical, and it's hard to put it together.'
• Perfect laps rare: 'Half the time it's going to be one or two mistakes a lap, probably all the time,' he admitted. 'It's one of those tracks that you're not going to feel like you've nailed a lap.'

What's next:

Drivers will get their first official laps in Friday practice, with the new surface and layout expected to evolve as rubber goes down. Lawson believes the challenge could create opportunities: 'If you do [nail it], it's probably going to make quite a big difference.'