The Madring has hosted its first Spanish Grand Prix, and the drivers who raced there are already telling the organisers exactly what they want to change for next year. Lando Norris, the man who claimed the inaugural pole position, says there are “obvious changes” the track should make to become a better race track.
Norris told reporters that parts of the 3.36-mile layout around Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre are useless and should simply be removed. He pointed to Turns 18 and 19 as the worst offenders. “They should get rid of [Turns] 18, 19. Useless. Just have more of a straight into a hairpin,” he said. “Like, I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes, ‘Mint’. Yeah, I think there’s a lot of opportunity.”
The track drew a sold-out crowd of 352,618 over the weekend. But the race itself was a procession. Norris would likely have won the Grand Prix had the Virtual Safety Car not intervened, and he said afterwards that he thinks the track can be made into something good for racing if organisers listen to his suggestions. “I think they can make it into a track that’s good for racing, and I’m excited to come back here next year if they can make these changes because I think it’s a track that is good fun to drive and it can be a great race track.”
What Norris Wants Changed
Norris offered a detailed list of the changes he wants to see:
- Get rid of Turns 18 and 19 entirely.
- Straighten the line from 17 to 20 and widen the entry like Austin Turn 1 or Turn 10 in Austin.
- Create a bigger hairpin at that point to improve overtaking chances.
- Consider Turn 5, 6, and 7 as trickier areas where the track forces drivers to turn and brake unnecessarily.
He admitted that some of the changes will be harder to make than others. “So yeah, there are some simple changes and maybe some trickier ones, like Turn 5, 6, 7. It’s hard to know exactly what’s the best thing,” he said. “The fact you have to turn and brake basically defeats the whole object of racing. So, they can do some simple changes, I think, easy changes and maybe some more tricky, but I hope they do it because then it should be more exciting for everyone.”
Other Drivers Weigh In
Norris was not the only one with complaints. Race winner Kimi Antonelli said the track is nice over one lap but frustrating in a race. “I think there are some corners that need to be changed to create more overtaking opportunities because right now, yes, it’s nice over one lap, but for sure in the race, you know, you’re just stuck behind [other cars],” she said.
Carlos Sainz, the other Spanish driver on the grid and an ambassador for the Grand Prix, wrote on X that the track needs work on passing. “The track is great. There needs to be some work done to create better passing, but it’s been a great race overall, especially for a first year,” he said.
Wolff’s Promise
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, said organisers are already talking to the FIA about what could be improved. He spoke confidently about the organisers’ openness to change. “They are totally open-minded about next year and said ‘we’ve had the discussions with the FIA. What is it we should do? How is it that we should lay the track out when it comes to overtaking?’ There is a constant discussion,” Wolff said. “And I think that they are on it and understand ‘can we tweak it a little bit here or there?'”
Wolff praised the event as a whole. “It was probably one of the best, or maybe the best that I’ve seen so far,” he said. “They’ve built something that is challenging for the drivers – a mini Macau or a mini Monaco – and the location is good.”
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was similarly effusive about the facility, though he noted the one weak spot. “It was an incredible event, that’s my opinion,” he said. “Incredible event, incredible venue setup. Massive paddock, massive garage area. I think it was a fantastic track in terms of being a driver’s track, all sort of corner speed and all of that in between the walls.” He added that the only shortfall was the overtaking opportunity. “I’m guessing it is stuff that can be addressed even [with] the space that we have around the track layout.”
Verstappen’s Input
Speaking after qualifying on Saturday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had also offered his thoughts on the track design. “In terms of track design, I think it can be better,” he said. “I think also input from drivers in the future on track design can also help a lot.”
The fact that four of the sport’s top drivers are all saying the same thing — that the track is fast but hard to overtake — suggests the organisers have a clear direction.
The Catch
There is a small problem with all this. The drivers are complaining about a lack of overtaking opportunities at a track they just finished racing.
The irony is that the track’s biggest flaw — the lack of passing — is also a concern shared by everyone involved.
What Happens Next
The organisers have shown they are listening. They have spoken with the FIA about what can be done.
The Madring has a second chance. The drivers have made their position clear.
See the video the story is built around at Skysports.