Carlos Sainz has already expressed his expectations for the newest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar, the Madring. It is the first time that the premier class travels to the Spanish capital Madrid for the Spanish GP, and the Williams driver therefore expects quite a few teething problems to arise during the first Grand Prix in the city where he grew up. “I think we all expect safety cars, red flags, and yellow flags during qualifying,” he predicts.
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Formula 1 is traveling this weekend for the first time to the new circuit, the Madring. Apart from a Ferrari filming day, no driver has yet driven on the brand-new track. The last time Formula 1 traveled to a completely new circuit was in 2023. That was when the race on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit was scheduled for the first time.
Home hero Carlos Sainz therefore expects some teething problems once the drivers start their first laps on the circuit near Madrid. “When I look at the circuit and hear what happened during the Formula 3 test, I think we all expect safety cars, red flags, and yellow flags during qualifying and those kinds of things,” the Williams driver told the media. The earlier Formula 3 test even turned into a red flag storm. The F3 drivers even described the track as ‘Jeddah on steroids’.
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“It has recently become a trend in Formula 1 to go to these kinds of circuits, like Jeddah, Baku – which are closer to the city – and Miami, but those have more walls and we haven’t had any problems there yet,” Sainz then also mentioned Jeddah himself. “The races seem to have gone quite well everywhere we have been, so we are heading in the same direction.”
‘Circuit reminds me of Jeddah, Baku, and Macau’
Finally, the Madrilenian also made a direct comparison with three of the circuits he considers the toughest in the sport. “I definitely think that, given the way the barriers are placed and the design of the circuit, this will be one of the biggest challenges in Formula 1 in recent times,” said Sainz. “The circuit reminds me a lot of Jeddah. It also reminds me a lot of Baku, and in some ways even a bit of Macau. So experiencing that in a Formula 1 car with a thousand hp will be quite an interesting challenge. So let’s see how it goes.”
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Read everything about the Spanish GP here
