Formula 1 drivers and teams finally experienced the Madring circuit during Friday practice, and the new Madrid venue proved every bit as demanding as predicted. While simulations provided a baseline, the session revealed significant unknowns regarding car setup, power unit deployment, and, most critically, tyre management. Tyre graining emerged as the dominant talking point early in the first session.
Drivers Praise Layout but Highlight Precision Required
Overall driver feedback on the new circuit was positive, with many noting its unique blend of high-speed sections and tight, wall-lined corners.
Pierre Gasly, who finished the day 11th, described the track as exhilarating: “I actually really loved it. It was very exciting. It’s a track with a lot of adrenaline. At all the corners you kind of see the walls coming at you very quickly, and you’ve got to be extremely precise in your lines, how much you commit to the corner. It definitely has this type of like adrenaline element, which you don’t always find, but usually find on a street track. So, pretty cool. A lot of high-speed, which is unusual for a street track, and it’s kind of a mix between like Jeddah and Monaco all combined together. Always exciting to find a new track, and definitely very exciting driving-wise. Now, hopefully, in the race, we can still find opportunities to overtake.”
Oscar Piastri, seventh in FP2, emphasized the difficulty: “I would say honestly it’s more difficult than some tracks. There’s a lot of sections where you’re not really brushing up against the walls, you’re kind of turning or heading at them, and then you need to avoid them. So it makes things quite challenging. Definitely I think everyone is still getting up to speed. But when you get into a decent rhythm over one lap, it’s pretty enjoyable. In race running, it’s been a nightmare to try and manage the tyres with graining. So a lot of corners have been very difficult. It’s been an interesting day. I think we are struggling a little bit for pace. But yeah, hopefully we can find a bit more tomorrow.”
Tyre Graining Forces Strategy Rethink
Teams had anticipated graining on the fresh tarmac, but the severity in FP1 came as a shock, prompting immediate setup adjustments for the second session.
George Russell explained the scale of the issue: “We thought it was a possibility. It’s often a possibility on new tarmacs. The grip is very high, but you’re sliding quite aggressively. With the deg we had in FP1, a six-stop race would have been the fastest way! FP2 was slightly better, and I’m sure the race on Sunday will be better again. But that’s the biggest question mark.”
The tyre situation influenced run plans significantly. Most teams opted to save two sets of the C2 hard compound for the race, with only Audi utilizing them during Friday running, signalling that the hardest tyre will play a crucial strategic role on Sunday.
Setup Compromises Define Friday Workload
The circuit’s diverse corner profile — mixing high-speed sweeps with heavy braking zones and kerb-heavy chicanes — forced engineers to search for a delicate setup balance.
Ferrari Strong Out of the Box, Eyes on Qualifying
Ferrari appeared competitive from the outset of FP1, though Team Principal Fred Vasseur downplayed Friday pace in favour of qualifying readiness: “I think the good setup is the setup that will work in in quali, not in free practice. We know that we’ll have a huge track evolution even during the session. The most important is to anticipate the grip in Q3, and to be ready for Q3. It makes no sense to do the best in free practice, and not in quali. It’s a challenge that you have approximately all the types of corners of the season, and it’s a good exercise for the engineers. But at the end, it’s also difficult to estimate what will be the grip evolution between FP3 and quali, and even during quali. It means that energy deployment is complicated with the high-speed section, and I think what will be key is to estimate the pace in Q3.”
Charles Leclerc ended FP2 in second place, underscoring the SF-24’s early promise.
Red Bull and Audi Grapple with Ride and Energy Deployment
Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson were less satisfied with their Friday progress. Technical Director Pierre Wache echoed the sentiment that Friday dissatisfaction is preferable if it leads to qualifying solutions: “I think it’s better to not be happy during Friday! And there’s a lot of work to do on car setup, for sure. Mechanical grip, I think the ride is more challenging than what we thought. It’s not as smooth. On energy deployment, it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do there also. And the tyres grained maybe as expected – I think in FP2 we were a little bit better than FP1, and I think we have to continue in this route.”
Wache elaborated on the competing demands: “I think compromising between corner and deployment, some corners are full throttle, and putting some sliding on the tyres. That’s something we have to see. But yeah, it is a challenging one.”
The kerb-riding requirement adds another layer of complexity. Audi Sporting Director Inaki Rueda highlighted the fundamental aerodynamic trade-off: “It very difficult. So the main set-up trade that we have here is between running low and stiff for aero, because you have lots of high-speed corners. And usually these cars, the more stiff and low you get the aero platform, the better it is. But you have the trade-off of jumping the kerbs, like jumping the kerb in Turn 2. It’s a lot of lap time. We cannot not jump it, and of course for that you want a higher car, and more of a rolling car. And so that is where the trade-off is, and the answer is going to be difficult.”
