Max Verstappen could not resist another dig at the Madring after using the Spanish Grand Prix circuit’s severe lack of overtaking opportunities to keep a faster Lando Norris behind in the closing stages. The Red Bull driver finished second behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while Norris had to settle for third despite rapidly closing onto Verstappen’s gearbox late in the race.
Asked afterwards how he had managed to resist the McLaren driver’s pressure, Max Verstappen delivered a simple and pointed answer: “I just kept the car in the middle. I think that works quite well around here.” The Dutchman’s laughter made the message clear, with the comment also serving as another criticism of Formula 1’s new Madrid circuit.
Max Verstappen had already questioned Madring overtaking
Max Verstappen had already made his lack of enthusiasm for the new Madring clear after free practice. The street circuit in Madrid’s Valdebebas district, close to the IFEMA exhibition centre, may offer an interesting technical challenge, but its racing characteristics have come under far greater scrutiny.
The biggest concern was always overtaking. Drivers repeatedly warned before the race that the circuit offered very few realistic passing opportunities, and the Grand Prix largely confirmed those fears. Aside from the opening lap and the strategic disruption created by the Virtual Safety Car, much of the race became a long train of cars unable to attack one another effectively.
Those warnings were already prominent before Sunday, when drivers raised concerns about the challenges posed by Formula 1’s new Madrid circuit.
Virtual Safety Car changed Norris’ Spanish GP
Lando Norris had started from pole and appeared to have the race under control before the timing of the Virtual Safety Car dramatically altered his afternoon. The McLaren driver missed the opportunity to stop under the neutralisation, while his rivals were able to take advantage.
That sequence opened the door for Andrea Kimi Antonelli to move into position to win the race and left Norris needing to recover ground. By the final part of the Grand Prix, the reigning world champion had caught Verstappen and appeared to have the quicker car.
Verstappen himself acknowledged afterwards that Norris had been closing rapidly. The Red Bull driver nevertheless benefited from one of the central characteristics of the Madring: catching another car was one thing, passing it was something entirely different.
Verstappen jokes about how he kept Norris behind
During the traditional post-race interviews with the top three finishers, Verstappen was asked how difficult it had been to keep Norris behind in the closing laps.
“I just kept the car in the middle,” Max Verstappen joked. “I think that works quite well around here.”
It was a brief answer, but one that neatly summarised the problem. Norris had enough pace to close the gap, yet Verstappen did not need an elaborate defensive strategy to preserve second place. Keeping the Red Bull on the most useful part of the circuit was largely enough to deny the McLaren a realistic opportunity.
The result was particularly valuable for Verstappen given that the RB22 did not appear to have the outright pace of the leading McLaren. The Dutchman has repeatedly had to extract results from a car whose weaknesses have made his 2026 campaign more difficult, with the RB22’s limitations already becoming a recurring issue this season.
Madring debut leaves Formula 1 with overtaking questions
For Formula 1, the first race at the Madring leaves an uncomfortable question. The championship began its new regulatory era with considerable attention on closer racing and overtaking, yet the Madrid debut offered very little of either once the field settled into position.
That does not mean the circuit lacks technical difficulty. Its fast sequences, narrow sections and unusual corners create a demanding challenge for the drivers. But Sunday’s race suggested that those qualities do not automatically translate into opportunities to race wheel-to-wheel.
Verstappen happened to be one of the beneficiaries. Despite having Norris close behind with greater late-race pace, the four-time world champion was able to protect second place and finish behind winner Antonelli.
Norris could catch him, but he could not pass him. Verstappen’s post-race joke therefore carried more weight than a simple one-liner: on the Madring’s first Formula 1 Sunday, putting the car in the middle was sometimes all a driver needed.
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