– McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is puzzled by Ferrari’s recent demonstration laps on the new Formula 1 race track in Madrid: “We were not informed about it in advance,” said Stella.
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But that is not the only thing that bothers Stella. He also criticizes that Ferrari might have gained a “small advantage” through the preliminary visit to the “Madring.”
Stella explained: “After the runs, some onboard footage was shared with the other teams, but regardless of the demo tires used and the unrepresentative conditions on the track, you can always learn a bit from such an appointment. You gain initial reference values, especially with the current power units.”
How big the Ferrari advantage really is
For Stella, the Ferrari advantage is obvious: The team no longer has to rely “exclusively on assumptions” in preparation for the race debut in Madrid but has some prior knowledge.
However, Stella cannot assess the actual value of this prior knowledge: “After the first laps on race weekend, it probably no longer matters. Then everyone focuses only on the race.” Therefore, Ferrari’s demonstration laps in Madrid are “no big deal.”
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What the Ferrari drivers say about their Madrid experience
This is also the view of the involved Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. They tried to downplay the significance of the demonstration laps.
Leclerc said: “Because of the lots of dirt on the track, I couldn’t really push fully anyway.” Therefore, it is “difficult to give a well-founded assessment” of the new Formula 1 race track.
Hamilton expressed a similar view: “We only did a few laps, and the track was extremely dusty. For a new circuit, I had expected little grip, but the tires were practically covered in dust the whole time. Under these conditions, it was hardly possible to learn anything about the actual behavior of the car or the track.”
When the “Madring” debuts in Formula 1
The “Madring” in Madrid will host the motorsport “king class” for the first time in the 2026 Formula 1 season and takes over the race title “Grand Prix of Spain” from Barcelona, where since 2026 the “Grand Prix of Barcelona-Catalonia” is held. The new Spanish Grand Prix takes place one week after the Italian Grand Prix in Monza – in mid-September.
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