Williams driver Carlos Sainz has expressed great enthusiasm for the Madring, a brand-new circuit near the Spanish capital. Construction of this new track is still underway, but from 2026 it will become a regular stop on the calendar, taking over the title of Spanish GP from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Initial reactions to the addition of yet another street circuit were critical, but according to Sainz, the Madring has all the right ingredients for spectacular racing.
Carlos Sainz was a guest in Madrid on Friday at the F1 Madrid Groundbreaking Event, a presentation about the construction of the new circuit. As an ambassador for the Madring, Sainz was one of the first drivers to analyze the entire track. A significant portion of the circuit runs around the IFEMA exhibition center, but it also utilizes nearby public roads, making it a hybrid track similar to the Miami Autodrome. One of the most striking features is La Monumental, a 550-meter straight section that inclines at a 24-degree angle.
“The drivers have asked me about the circuit, the turns, the layout,” Sainz responded to the media at the Madring. “I told them not to worry and that I will do my best to put on a great show. What I personally ask of a Formula 1 circuit is a bit of charisma and character – that it has, for example, many unique or distinctive turns. Consider a circuit like Baku; it doesn’t have any major turns after the castle section, but it has character because there are so many long straight sections. Of course, that means a lot of spectacular overtaking,” said the Spaniard.
Hybrid Circuit
“A circuit like Jeddah has a lot of fast corners, which also makes for spectacular races,” Carlos Sainz reflected on the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “They are all city circuits, but they have managed to retain a certain character. What I ask of the Madring – and what we are achieving at the moment – is that it becomes a hybrid circuit,” Sainz explained. “A city section with closely spaced walls, and an open section, like the traditional European circuits that we drivers enjoy so much.”
Madrid will be the host city for the Spanish Grand Prix in 2026. Barcelona will remain on the calendar at least until 2026, but then as the Catalan Grand Prix. Despite the many questions raised about this choice, Carlos Sainz is confident that a race on the Madring will be a successful event. “Everything around it, all the concerts and activities will greatly benefit the city,” he argued. “I think we can have the best circuit in the world and the best event on the entire calendar. Of course, we now have twenty-four races, and destinations like Mexico, Miami, and Las Vegas are very popular, but I genuinely believe that Madrid can beat them. We’re going for it!”
