F1 drivers, team bosses hopeful over Madring track changes for overtaking after new venue’s first Spanish GP | F1 News

Formula 1 drivers and team bosses hope there is room at Madring for organizers to make changes to the track to help the parade for future seasons.

The new home of the Spanish Grand Prix held its inaugural event over the weekend around the semi-permanent, walled circuit at Madring.

While the 3.36-mile layout was praised for the challenge it presented on a fast qualifying lap, drivers had raised concerns before the race about a possible lack of overtaking opportunities – something that largely developed in the race.

Lando Norris, who claimed the inaugural pole position and would likely have won the Grand Prix too but for an untimely virtual safety car, believes “there are some obvious changes they need to make” to make it a “great race track” to meet the challenge it gave the drivers in qualifying.

Offering an open assessment of some immediate revisions he would like to see, the McLaren driver said: “They should get rid of the 18, 19. Useless.

“But I don’t know how anyone looks at this design and goes, ‘Mint.'” Yeah, I think there’s a lot of potential.

“Like I said yesterday, I think they can make 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’s fun to drive and could be a great race track.”

Race winner Kimi Antonelli added: “I think there are some corners that need to be changed to create more overtaking opportunities because now, yes, it’s good on a lap, but certainly in the race, you know, you’re just stuck behind (other cars).

Williams’ Carlos Sainz, one of two Spanish drivers on the grid and who is also a Grand Prix ambassador, wrote in X: “The track is great. Need to work on creating better passes, but it was a great race overall, especially for the first year.”

“They are completely open-minded about next year” – Wolff confident that the organizers will make changes

The inaugural race weekend at Madring, which revolves around Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition center and is close to the Spanish capital’s international airport, attracted a sell-out crowd of 352,618.

Toto Wolff said he was impressed with the event as a whole and revealed organizers were already talking to the FIA, F1’s governing body, about what could be improved about the track for next year.

“I think for the first (event), it’s probably one of the best, or maybe the best I’ve seen so far,” said the Mercedes team principal.

“It’s a temporary circuit. They’ve built something that’s challenging for the drivers – a mini Macau or a mini Monaco – and the location is good.

“We are thinking about how much more we can do next year in terms of small events here, or presentations, because we have space and that is very rare in Formula 1.

“So I’d like to say congratulations for the first time.

“And then there’s the tricky part, making a track that’s also spectacular for the drivers and then building it in a way that there’s a lot of overtaking.

“I had a discussion yesterday with the circuit executive and they are completely open-minded about next year and said ‘we have had discussions with the FIA. What should we do? How is it possible that we have to lay the track when it comes to overtaking?’ There is an ongoing discussion.

“And I think they’re into it and realizing ‘can we tweak it a little bit here or there?’ Honestly, I feel like if you try to find a hair in the soup, you always find one. But being here for the first time, I am very impressed.”

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was tight-lipped about the facility and also expressed hope that track improvements would be explored and introduced.

“It was an incredible event, that’s my opinion,” Mekies said.

“Unbelievable event, incredible venue setup. Massive box, massive garage area. I think it was a fantastic track in terms of being a driver’s track, all kinds of speed in the corners and all that between the walls.

“I think the only shortcoming is the possibility of overtaking. I think those are things that can also be addressed (with) the space we have around the track layout.

“I’m not a track designer, but I would think there would certainly be a common desire to want to improve maybe the one aspect, or the main aspect, that’s lagging here, which is overtaking.”

What could be changed?

Norris offered further suggested changes to the existing layout.

“It’s great in qualifying, but, you know, straight from 17 straight to 20, to have a much wider entry like Austin Turn 1 or Turn 10 in Austin, big hairpin,” he said.

“You know, you’re going to create much better opportunities for everybody and you’re going to be able to enjoy the race.

“So yes, there are some simple changes and maybe some more complicated ones, like turns 5, 6, 7. It’s hard to know exactly which is the best thing.

“The fact that you have to turn and brake basically defeats the whole object of the race. So they could make some simple changes, I think, easy changes and maybe more complicated ones, but I hope they do because then it should be more exciting for everyone.”

Speaking after qualifying on Saturday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen said: “In terms of track design, I think it could be better.

“I think the driver’s future input into track design can also help a lot. I know they’ll always come back to you and say, ‘Yeah, but space,’ but that’s BS. There’s always a way to find an overtaking opportunity around a track.

“But overall, the event itself is pretty cool. I mean, yeah, they did a great job.

“Also how quickly, I think, they made the track available, the information that was released about the simulator. So in that sense, I think yes, it was very good. But in terms of, if you want to have better racing, overtaking, I think there might be some twists that could be changed.”

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