Fans Split Over Madrid 'Madring' First Laps

Carlos Sainz drove the first demonstration laps of Madrid’s new Madring circuit on May 16, offering Formula 1 fans their clearest look yet at the venue that is due to host the Spanish Grand Prix in September. Formula 1 and Madring organisers published video and images from the run as the circuit moves from construction phase toward race preparation. The reaction online was mixed, with some fans focusing on the visual style and layout while others pointed to the novelty of seeing a new grand prix venue take shape. The event itself settled one point: Madrid now has a drivable version of the track it plans to debut on the 2026 calendar. ### What exactly did Sainz do in Madrid? Carlos Sainz, now a Williams driver and the circuit’s ambassador, sampled the new layout in a demonstration run released by Formula 1 on May 16. Formula 1 said the lap was completed ahead of the circuit’s debut for the Spanish Grand Prix in September. Motorsport.com reported that Sainz described the track as “faster than it looks” after his first laps and pointed to several overtaking spots and high-speed sections. That matters because the first public images had prompted questions about whether the circuit would race quickly enough for modern Formula 1 cars. (formula1.com) ### What is the Madring, and where is it? Formula 1 announced in January 2024 that Madrid would join the calendar from 2026 to 2035 under an agreement with IFEMA MADRID. The circuit is built around the IFEMA exhibition centre and combines public-road sections with permanent-track elements. (motorsport.com) The original Formula 1 announcement described the venue as a 5.47-km circuit with 20 corners, while later construction updates from Formula 1 said the working layout had evolved to about 5.4 km with 22 corners. Organisers have promoted the project as one of the most accessible races on the calendar because of its proximity to Madrid-Barajas airport and public transport links. (formula1.com) ### Why were fans split after the first laps? Motorsport.com reported on May 17 that fan reaction was divided after Sainz’s first run, with some viewers critical of the look of the circuit and others more positive about finally seeing cars on the layout. The split was less about a formal sporting judgment than about first impressions from video, runoff areas and the overall setting. (formula1.com) May 16 footage released by Formula 1 showed a venue that is still being finished rather than a polished race-weekend product. That helps explain why some of the reaction centered on appearance as much as on the sequence of corners. ### Is the track design finished? Formula 1’s 2024 announcement said the Madrid circuit remained subject to FIA homologation and final design specification. (motorsport.com) The FIA’s 2026 calendar, published on June 9, 2025, kept the same caveat, listing Madrid’s September 11-13, 2026 race as subject to FIA circuit homologation. (formula1.com) An April 2025 Formula 1 construction update showed that the design had already changed at least once, with the layout moving from 20 to 22 corners and featuring the banked “La Monumental” bend as a signature section. That means the version fans saw in Sainz’s run is a late-stage presentation, but regulatory approval still has to follow. (formula1.com) ### What still has to happen before September? The FIA calendar sets Madrid’s debut Spanish Grand Prix for September 11-13, 2026, after Barcelona hosts the other Spanish round on June 12-14. The Madrid event remains conditional on homologation, which is the formal approval process for the circuit. IFEMA said earlier that Madrid will also host FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 races as part of the grand prix weekend. (formula1.com) That adds to the operational test for organisers, who must complete the venue, satisfy FIA requirements and prepare for a full support-race program before Formula 1 arrives in September. (ifema.es) (fia.com)