As qualifying gets underway in Madrid, Spain there is a much bigger headline under shadowing the results. The FIA, Formula 1’s governing body, seems to get more risky with driver safety each year.
In Formula 3 at the new “Madring” circuit, with the popular name dubbed by fans, young drivers served as a test of the new track. They had to press pause on the session 19 times. That’s right, 19. That number of red flags is unheard of in a period.
In regards to the more experienced drivers of Formula 1, they’re not feeling confident on the new track either.
“I heard about the 19 red flags in F3 and I was a bit surprised,” Mercedes driver George Russell said. “And then, after I drove it on the sim, I was surprised there were only 19 red flags. So, it’s a crazy circuit.” Russell, without racing there yet, called the track “the most risky circuit on the calendar.
Russell recorded the fastest time on Friday in free practice one, the first official session for Formula 1 in Madrid. His teammate, championship leader Kimi Antonelli, led practices two and three leading up to qualifying on Sunday.
On tracks where drivers are experienced, it’s rare to see practice-crashes unless there is a large mistake from a driver. So far in Spain, we’ve seen three large crashes from drivers. These include Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, whose resume includes seven world championships. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad crashed in practice two as well as Ollie Bearman for Haas in practice three. Bearman could not take part in qualifying on Saturday due to his crash.
“It’s a type of track a bit like Monaco, where I think if you do a slight mistake, it can have big consequences straight away,” said Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. “So it’s about how you can reward every single braking zone and the speed that you carry through the corners.”
Gasly recorded his first career pole position last week in Italy, but claimed that in simulator sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix, he hit every single wall on the track at one point. He could not place in the top 10 after qualifying ended.
Some of the highlights of the Madring include “La Monumental,” a 550 meter stretch of 13.5-degree banking and high speed cornering. Another interesting facet of the track is “El Bunker.” Turn 8 on the track takes drivers through landmarks that have been preserved from the Spanish civil war.
At the high-speed circuit with dramatic breaking zones, it’s easy for drivers to hit the walls. “It’s a little bit concerning,” said Williams’ driver Alex Albon. “Inevitably there are going to be a few crashes this weekend.”
Qualifying developed a more cautious approach for those on track. No crashes were made during the session. Hamilton shot up the times out of nowhere in Q3 to provisional pole with just over six minutes remaining in the session. Antonelli took pole position with just under a minute left and fastest sectors were being set what felt like every 20 seconds. Norris then took the top spot with a few seconds left in the session, holding the closest spot on the grid to turn one when it mattered most.
Drivers have raised concerns about their own safety in the past. During the 2023 season in Qatar, drivers held a meeting with their governing body over extreme heat and how dangerous that was. Drivers were throwing up in their helmets and passing out in the car. The FIA also tweaked the new regulations regarding cars for 2026 after drivers raised concerns about how safe that was. It seems like only a matter of time until a meeting is called to discuss the circuit dubbed by drivers as a “car killer.”
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