– Less than three years after the Las Vegas debut, the “Madring” is once again a new street circuit on the Formula 1 calendar. Ferrari, in particular, still remembers the 2023 debacle well: Carlos Sainz tore a loose manhole cover out of the asphalt during the first practice session, which led to a total loss of his SF-23.
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To ensure that this trauma, which also had consequences for the organizers of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, does not repeat itself in Spain, important precautions were taken during the construction of the new track. Although the circuit partly uses public roads, large sections were newly constructed.
The solution is quite simple: there is simply not a single manhole cover on the entire 5.416 kilometers of the Madring. This apparently also brings great relief to Ferrari, as the Scuderia even highlights this detail humorously in their official race preview.
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“0. The number of manhole covers on the track. To avoid problems like those that occurred on other street circuits, the plan was that there should be no manhole covers in the road surface,” says Ferrari in the press release with facts and figures ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
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Ferrari with first experiences on the Madring
Ferrari was also allowed to drive the new track in Madrid during a filming day in July and gain first experiences on the new asphalt. “On a new circuit, it is especially important to adapt quickly and make the most of every session,” says team principal Frederic Vasseur.
“We have to focus step by step on the individual sessions, look at ourselves, and work as a team to fully exploit the potential of both cars.” The biggest hurdle has already been removed by eliminating all manhole covers.
And Williams driver Carlos Sainz (fittingly the official ambassador of the new Formula 1 track in Madrid) will probably be able to race calmly over the new asphalt this weekend. The manhole trauma from Vegas certainly cannot happen again.
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