Sainz compares the Madrid circuit to Baku and Jeddah

A new street circuit scheduled to be introduced next season, the Madring, as it has been named, promises to be one of the most technical for the drivers. The event organizers released a video this week, in which the complete lap is performed during a simulation. Among several complex sections, the exit of Turn 4 resulted in a loss of control of the car within the broadcast video itself.

Like the many urban circuits recently added to the list of events Formula 1 For several years now, long straight lines have also been following one another. Carlos Sainz has also tried to compare it with Saudi Arabia in particular, having hosted its first race at the end of the 2021 financial year.

"What I ask of an F1 circuit as a driver is that it has charisma and character, that it has a lot of corners that make it different, explained the SpaniardThere are circuits like Baku, which don't have any major corners beyond the castle section, but it has character because it's very long straights, there's a lot of overtaking, it's spectacular. There's Jeddah, which is a circuit full of fast, spectacular corners. They're all street circuits, but they've managed to keep their character."

Carlos Sainz reassures his counterparts

Given the planned layout of the circuit, the comparison with Baku seems justified in particular by the length of the straights, and by the series of particularly tight chicanes. Although a 24% banked slope is one of the sections strongly highlighted by the organizers, doubts remain as to the potential overtaking possibilities in racing conditions.

"The drivers asked me questions about the circuit, the corners, the layout... I told them not to worry, that I would try to help as much as possible to make the circuit a good show." Carlos Sainz anticipated the reservations expressed until then.

However, while Las Vegas, Miami, and Mexico City have also been cited as models of success to be surpassed, some of these circuits often produce Grand Prix races with fewer overtaking attempts than the calendar average. For example, 41 overtaking attempts were observed in Florida in 2024, compared to 25 in Jeddah the same year. Paradoxically, Las Vegas, with its 77 overtaking attempts, proved to be the most spectacular setting in this regard.

While Madrid seems likely to eventually replace Barcelona if no new agreement is reached beyond 2026, it should be noted that the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit established itself last year as the second track on which overtaking was the most numerous (55). In search of thrills, the organizers could possibly count on a slight reduction in the number of single-seaters thanks to the new regulations starting next year to find a scenario very different from that of a qualifying championship, feared this season by Frédéric Vasseur in particular.

ALSO READ > VIDEO – The Madrid circuit is revealed by onboard camera