Martin Brundle has turned the Madring Grand Prix into a comedy of tyre compounds, safety cars, and a seven-second pit stop that cost Lando Norris the win. His assessment of the Spanish round lands somewhere between amused and concerned, with the verdict that the new venue needs fixing.
The track, which opened this weekend near Madrid’s airport, offered a long, banked turn 12 and high-speed sections squeezed between continuous walls and barriers. Brundle called it a work in progress, noting the venue lost time during construction due to bad weather. He also pointed out the logistical challenges created by a vast pit lane and paddock, plus a track layout that made overtaking nearly impossible.
“It’s not as challenging to overtake as Monaco, but not that far short either.”
The Tyre Mess That Started the Race
Norris started from pole position after a sensational qualifying lap, sharing the front row with Kimi Antonelli on medium tyres. Max Verstappen was on soft compound tyres, as was Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc and George Russell ran hard compounds.
That split mattered immediately. With little circuit knowledge, especially for Norris, who had missed almost a full practice session with car gremlins, the grid featured all three available tyre compounds. The result was a melee that cost Max Verstappen a chance at victory.
Verstappen read Antonelli’s aggressive start well, using his soft tyres to move past both the young Italian and Norris. But in the early chaos, Verstappen had a straight run through a chicane to avoid a collision with Hamilton. The stewards disagreed, deeming the move an unfair advantage. Verstappen’s team told him to hand the place back to Lewis before the stewards even made the call.
It probably cost Max a victory in the end.
How the Virtual Safety Car Changed Everything
Norris was flying out front until Lance Stroll lost his Aston Martin under braking and became stranded in one of the few short run-off areas. The incident looked certain to trigger a virtual safety car.
But Norris was approaching the pit entry, and his team did not want to pit him on the chance of a safety car rather than the certainty. The race director gave the VSC order just as Norris had passed the pit entry, with a lead of over four seconds.
Mercedes had time to pit Antonelli, but only if Lando hadn’t been in such great form. Ferrari kept Leclerc out on his hard tyres, hurting his strategy. Clearing away stricken cars had been slow throughout the event, and there was a slim chance Norris could complete another lap at safety car speed and still get a cheap pit stop in.
That chance vanished. The race went green and full racing speed when Norris was two corners from the pit entry, forcing him to navigate the entire pit lane while his main rivals were flat out. McLaren delivered a seven-second pit stop rather than the usual two-second stop.
Undeterred, Norris set about catching up to Verstappen and Antonelli in fine fashion.
Leclerc’s Long Lap and the Championship Standings
Leclerc impressed by leading until lap 48, when he pitted to park his tired hard tyres. A very unimpressed Pierre Gasly was left out on track by his Alpine team for 55 of the 57 laps.
That left Antonelli in the lead, with Verstappen pushing hard as Norris caught up. The three leaders were close together in the final stages, but there was no way past.
Having led his 13th straight F1 race, Antonelli now leads the championship by 81 points from his team-mate Russell. It is the fifth consecutive race where the 20-year-old Italian has extended his points lead.
What Needs Fixing at Madring
Brundle’s verdict on the new venue is mixed. The track offers some interesting aspects, but the lack of overtaking opportunities and the logistical headaches from the vast pit lane and paddock need addressing.
The safety car situation is also a concern. Under green-flag conditions, pitting took a lengthy 25 seconds. Under a virtual or actual safety car, there was a chunky 12-second advantage in pitting while rivals travelled much more slowly.
That decided who would win the race.
For 2027, Brundle’s verdict is that the venue needs fixing. The temporary nature of the venue, built adjacent to the airport, means adjustments are possible.
The NEC comparison, which describes the track as racing around the Madrid equivalent of the Birmingham exhibition centre, is a matter of description, not a question of whether F1 should keep running there.
Key Facts
- Antonelli leads the championship by 81 points from Russell
- Antonelli has won 13 consecutive races
- Norris pitted in 25 seconds under green flag
- Pitting under safety car gave a 12-second advantage
- Leclerc led until lap 48 before pitting
- Pierre Gasly was left out on track for 55 of 57 laps
- McLaren delivered a seven-second pit stop
Brundle’s assessment is available on skysports.com. The full report runs through the weekend’s events in detail, from the tyre splits to the final podium positions.
See the video the story is built around at Skysports.
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