Today, F1 returned to Madrid for the first time in 45 years, and the drivers spent the day admitting the same thing: nobody knows what this circuit does yet. Not a single car has turned a wheel here. Every opinion below comes from a simulator or a track walk. Pierre Gasly said himself that he's putting money on a red flag.
Now, what did the tests from the F3 drivers actually show? Two days of running the track last month produced nineteen red flags, eleven of them cars going into the walls. So not off to the best start with this track. Dust and low grip made it worse. The circuit was declared ready, but that's the only real data anyone really has. Williams team boss James Vowles put it plainly: "OK, they're Formula 3 drivers, but it's a track that destroys cars."
The drivers are hedging. Alonso mentioned the kerb-heavy layout and uncertain asphalt grip, and he said that he may not have the energy to attack La Monumental at full force. Sainz called it one of the hardest layouts he's faced. Bottas described it as a mix of Jeddah and Baku, and Colapinto expects a tougher weekend than Monza, where the straights really suited the Alpine car.
Gasly's read is the one that sticks. He ran it in Alpine's simulator and came away saying he "got a good read and feel of pretty much every single wall at every single corner." He compared it to Monaco, where a slight mistake has big consequences straight away, and reckons the tyres are going to be absolutely screaming.
This weekend, Friday matters more than usual. The absence of data on this track makes Friday critical. The grip levels, racing lines and tire behavior all have to be established before anyone can optimize anything. It is expected that there will be graining on soft tires, sustained loading on the left-side tires through La Monumental, and overheating as the likely race limitation.
And on top of all of that, it's going to be hot. Fun, right? I'm nervous about this race and I'm not even driving in it. Tire life and cooling down the cars are going to be the real factors this weekend.
Lawson is still in the Red Bull this weekend, his third straight race. Hadjar is still out with his broken wrist, but hopefully we can see him back soon. Although I do love seeing Yuki back on the grid as well. Speaking of Yuki, Audi has formally appealed the Monza result over his grid position, which Bortoleto confirmed today.
Sainz's grandstand sold out in TWO DAYS. The thing everyone's agreeing on: Friday will tell us more than any other Friday has this year.