Will the first Grand Prix at the Madring be a repeat of Monaco? Charles Leclerc fears that the race in the Spanish capital will mainly provide spectacle during qualifying, while it will be difficult to overtake on Sunday. “On Sunday, apart from the start, it will be very difficult to make up positions.”
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The Ferrari driver is nevertheless looking forward to his first real weekend on the new track. Leclerc, who usually performs well on street circuits, got a preview a few weeks ago. “I have already been able to do two laps in the F1 car. But that was with cameras around us and the track was very dusty then.” Still, the Madring made an impression. “The track looked challenging and exactly the type of circuit I like as a driver.”
According to Leclerc, qualifying in particular could become a spectacle. The narrow and challenging track offers little room for mistakes, while a good starting position may become more important than on many other circuits. “I expect that not much overtaking will happen on Sunday, but qualifying will be really cool and challenging.”
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With that, Leclerc joins Fernando Alonso, who earlier warned that qualifying at the Madring might be more interesting than the race. Ferrari is explicitly taking that into account according to the Monegasque. “This will be one of those weekends where you will focus more on speed in qualifying than in the race.”
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The free practice sessions will therefore mainly focus on an optimal qualifying setup. “We will maximize this to ensure a fast lap in Q3. In the race, you can still play a bit with strategy, but overtaking here will simply be much more difficult than on other circuits.”
The big question is thus born: will Madrid become a new Monaco, with Saturday as the highlight and Sunday as a procession?
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