Formula One drivers have criticised F1’s newest track after the Spanish Grand Prix, as the hype around the first race in Madrid for 45 years withered to nothing more than a dull procession, with only four overtakes recorded – a season low.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli recorded back-to-back wins at the Madring, but the style in which he won was a stark contrast to his impressive charge at Monza, in which he completed a record 26 overtakes.
Drivers were critical of the circuit after the 57-lap Grand Prix, with second-place finisher Max Verstappen noting the lack of space on track.
“Around here, if you just drive a little bit in the middle, then yeah, you can’t pass,” he said.
Antonelli echoed the Dutch driver’s comments, noting the circuit doesn’t allow many opportunities to overtake.
“In the second chicane, if I would have turned in, me and Lando would have touched and probably gone in the wall and blocked the road,” he said.
“There are some corners that need to be changed to create more overtaking opportunities.
“It’s nice over one lap, but for sure in the race, you know, you’re just stuck behind.”
Lando Norris secured an impressive pole in qualifying and led the race before being caught on the wrong side of the Virtual Safety Car after Lance Stroll stopped on track.
He was critical of the Madring’s design, saying obvious changes are needed and calling Turns 18 and 19 “useless”.
“I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes, ‘Mint’,” he said.
“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 racetrack.
“It’s great in qualifying, but, you know, straight line from 17 straight to 20, have a much wider entry like Austin Turn 1 or Turn 10 in Austin, big hairpin.
“You’ll create much better opportunities for everyone and you’ll be able to enjoy the race.”
He continued to offer suggestions for other corners, acknowledging the difficulty with improving Turns 5, 6, and 7, but explained that turning while braking “defeats the whole object of racing”.
The Guardian reports that discussions with the FIA and the Madring Circuit are already underway to bring changes next year that will improve the racing at the track, which has a contract to host the Spanish GP until 2036.
