Formula One visits Madrid’s brand-new Madring this weekend, a 22-turn, 5.4 km (3.4-mile) circuit built specifically for the Spanish Grand Prix. BWT Alpine Formula One Team arrives fresh from a strong weekend at Monza, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto having done their homework in the Enstone simulator. Nobody on the grid has raced here before, which makes the learning curve the defining theme of the weekend.
Formula One heads to Madrid this week for the first running of the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, a purpose-built circuit hosting its first event. According to the team, it is the first Formula One race in the Spanish capital in more than 40 years.
The layout measures 5.4 km (3.4 miles) and packs in 22 corners. The first and final sectors use public roads around the IFEMA exhibition centre and carry a street-circuit character, while the middle sector is faster and more flowing.
The corner everyone is talking about
The standout is Turn 12, named ‘La Monumental’. It is a steeply banked bend running for more than half a kilometre, with a maximum gradient of 24 per cent — equivalent to 13.5 degrees of banking. Alpine describes it as the most impressive corner on the circuit, and it is expected to be taken at very high speed.
Banking of that scale is unusual in modern Formula One, and it hands engineers an awkward set-up question: a car balanced for the low-grip street sections is not necessarily the car that wants to sit in a long, loaded, high-downforce corner.
Alpine arrives with momentum
The French team comes to Madrid off the back of a notable weekend at Monza, where Gasly took pole position on Saturday and both cars scored points. Neither driver has any real-world reference for the Madring, so preparation has been confined to the simulator at the team’s Enstone base in Oxfordshire, with first impressions due in Friday’s opening practice session.
“Having driven the Madring in the simulator, it looks like it will be a lot of fun at the wheel in real life. It’s always interesting for teams and us drivers to learn a new track and we go there with a bit of excitement and a good vibe in the team after what we achieved last weekend,” Gasly said. “The target for us is to get up to speed as quickly as we can, get the car in a sweet spot, and aim to continue our run of scoring points.”
Colapinto has a personal connection to the host city. “I used to live in Madrid so it’s a city I know very well, and I’ve got great memories of my time here,” he said, adding that the banking at Turn 12 “will be fun to drive for real” and that getting into a rhythm will be key. He also pointed to the team’s recent upgrade package, which he said showed good pace at Monza and still holds more to learn.
Formula 2 in support
FIA Formula 2 joins the bill for the Madring’s debut. Gabriele Mini and Alex Dunne sit third and fourth in the standings, with Kush Maini sixth, and only four rounds of the season remain.
What it means
A circuit nobody has driven levels the field in a way a familiar venue never does. Simulator work, tyre understanding and how quickly a team converges on a set-up all count for more than usual — which is precisely the kind of weekend a midfield team with a working upgrade package can turn to its advantage.
The Spanish Grand Prix weekend opens with Free Practice 1 on Friday.
Source: media.alpinecars.com