Carlos Sainz believes Formula 1’s new Madring circuit will provide a demanding challenge when the championship races in Madrid for the first time this weekend. After driving the completed venue in a road car and later experiencing it in the simulator, the Williams driver has compared its characteristics with Jeddah, Baku and Singapore, describing it as one of the most challenging circuits he has ever tackled virtually.
There is always an extra level of curiosity when Formula 1 arrives at a completely new circuit, and Madring is no exception. The Madrid venue has been widely discussed ahead of its 2026 debut, with differing opinions about what kind of racing it will produce, but the early indications suggest it will be far from straightforward for the drivers.
Carlos Sainz describes Madring as ‘incredibly challenging’
Max Verstappen has already highlighted the difficulty of the new Madrid circuit, which has been built in the Valdebebas area of the Spanish capital, close to Real Madrid’s training complex. Now Carlos Sainz, the ultimate home driver given that he was born in Madrid, has offered a similarly demanding assessment.
As an ambassador for the Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz had the opportunity in May to drive on the newly completed circuit in a road-going Ford Mustang, completing the first reconnaissance lap on the finished asphalt. The Williams driver subsequently carried out simulator work to learn the characteristics of the new track before Formula 1’s arrival.
His verdict was clear.
“I had my first proper laps in the simulator with the car [in August] and I must say it’s a hell of a challenging track,” Carlos Sainz told Formula 1’s official website in a recent interview. “It’s one of the most challenging tracks I’ve ever done in a simulator and for a driver it’s going to be tough.”
Madring combines elements of Jeddah, Baku and Singapore
Carlos Sainz also attempted to compare Madring with established circuits on the Formula 1 calendar. No comparison can perfectly describe a completely new venue, but the similarities he identified provide an indication of the mixture of speed, precision and narrow sections drivers could encounter in qualifying and the race.
“I think it has a mix of Jeddah and Baku [characteristics], which are probably the two most challenging tracks for a driver – and a bit of Singapore. I think it’s a track that has quite a bit of character when you drive it in the simulator,” Carlos Sainz said.
The comparison reflects Madring’s unusual nature. The new 22-corner venue combines public-road sections with purpose-built areas, creating a mixture of street-circuit demands and faster, more open sequences. For Williams, Friday practice will therefore provide the first opportunity to discover how closely its simulations correspond with the real behaviour of the FW48 on the new asphalt.
La Monumental proved harder than Sainz expected
Carlos Sainz’s favourite sequence begins around Turn 7 and continues towards the circuit’s most talked-about feature, La Monumental. The banked section stretches for around 500 metres, reaches a gradient of 24% and passes between grandstands positioned on both sides of the track.
The Madrid-born driver initially expected the signature corner to be relatively straightforward, but his simulator running produced a very different impression.
“It is probably more challenging than I thought,” Carlos Sainz said. “I thought it would be a flat out, easy flat-out corner and just like an acceleration corner. It’s turned out to be much more challenging, at least in the simulator in a good way. With all that banking, all that control of the car through there, it will be a big challenge.”
The Spanish Grand Prix will carry additional significance for Carlos Sainz, who is preparing to race a Formula 1 car in his home city for the first time. The Spaniard has also recently reinforced his commitment to the Grove project by signing a new multi-year contract with Williams.
What Madring will actually produce once 20 Formula 1 cars attack it at full speed remains unknown. But if Carlos Sainz’s simulator experience is any indication, the combination of fast sections, street-circuit precision and the distinctive La Monumental corner should give the drivers plenty to think about from their very first laps.
Leave a Reply