(Motorsport-Total.com) – Carlos Sainz is looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming Formula 1 debut of the new Madrid circuit. Although the Spaniard has not yet driven the track with a Formula 1 car, his first impressions already command respect. Sainz compares the layout to some of the most demanding street circuits on the calendar – and expects an unusually difficult challenge.
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“It will definitely be one of the biggest challenges in recent Formula 1 times with the way the walls are placed and the design of the track,” explains Sainz. Especially the combination of a tight layout, numerous barriers, and the performance of a modern Formula 1 car makes the circuit interesting.
The new track reminds him not only of one existing Grand Prix. Sainz draws several comparisons: “The track reminds me a lot of Jeddah, it reminds me a lot of Baku, and in a way even a bit of Macau.” What these circuits have in common is their high demand on the drivers and the low tolerance for mistakes.
“We expect safety cars and red flags”
Sainz has studied the events around the new track intensively. He also observed what happened during the Formula 3 test in Madrid. The experiences gathered there apparently confirmed rather than contradicted his impression.
“I looked at the track and heard about what happened at the F3 test,” explains the Williams driver. His expectation for the Formula 1 weekend is therefore quite clear.
“I think we all expect safety cars and red flags as well as yellow flags in qualifying and such things,” says Sainz. He therefore expects that the tight track layout and numerous walls could lead to an increased number of incidents, at least in the early phase.
At the same time, Sainz does not necessarily see this as something negative. Formula 1 has been consciously moving towards such circuits for some time. Street circuits with high speed but little room for error have become an increasingly important part of the calendar.
New street circuits: More walls, but so far few problems
“It is now a kind of trend in Formula 1 to go to tracks like Jeddah and Baku, which are closer to the city,” explains Sainz. Miami also counts for him as part of this development, although the track characteristics differ significantly in each case.
It is noticeable that these circuits, despite their aggressive design, have not fundamentally led to problematic races so far. “They have more walls, and we have had no problems with that so far.”
On the contrary: “The races seem to go quite well at all these places we have gone to.” Madrid could therefore be the next step in this development for Sainz.
Nevertheless, uncertainty remains high. Because no simulator and no test can fully replicate how a Formula 1 race with 22 cars will develop on a new track. Especially in qualifying, when drivers push to the absolute limit, the tight layout could show its downsides.
Sainz recalls Baku – and a chaotic race
That the fears of incidents are not completely unfounded is also shown by the history of Baku for Sainz. The Spaniard himself was present at the first Formula 1 race on the street circuit in Azerbaijan in 2016. At that time, he experienced how chaotic the junior races on the new track were. Especially the first corner became a hotspot for accidents.
“There was just one pile-up after another in turn one,” he recalled. The Formula 1 drivers apparently then realized that they could not afford a similar spectacle. “The drivers came together in the briefing and said: We will not embarrass ourselves so much in the Grand Prix.”
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However, the result was almost the opposite of the expected spectacle. “And the Grand Prix was boring, right?” says Sainz with a smile. A similar development could occur for Madrid. A new layout initially causes uncertainty and possibly numerous incidents. But once the drivers understand where the limits are, the picture can change.
More responsibility, more experience – but also more risk
Sainz therefore believes that Formula 1 drivers generally handle such circuits more cautiously due to their experience than drivers in junior series. “F1 drivers are certainly a bit more disciplined with such things,” he explains.
There are several reasons for this. The drivers carry greater responsibility because behind every car there is a huge team. “We represent of course around 1,000 people in the factory who build these cars,” says Sainz, who also keeps other factors like limited spare parts and the greater experience of the drivers in mind.
“But we also drive faster cars, which normally, if at all, more easily leads to an accident,” he adds. “We will of course watch this. We can help the race director and the FIA learn during the weekend by observing whether such patterns repeat.”
Sainz sees no advantage from his involvement in the project
Could Sainz himself have an advantage over his competitors due to his closer involvement with the new track? The Spaniard waves this off. “No, I will have done as many laps in the simulator as anyone else.”
From his point of view, a real advantage would have been had by the driver who was already on the track during the Formula 3 test. “I think that would definitely have given you an advantage.”
Sainz therefore already has a concrete demand for all involved. After the first Grand Prix, it must be analyzed exactly what worked – and what did not. “My only request to the drivers, the sport, and the track is to do a good debrief after the race,” says Sainz.
“We have to record the things that need to be improved on the track and make sure we improve them next year.” Sainz explicitly does not expect everything to work perfectly on the first try. “I am sure there will be things that go great and other things that do not work so well.”
Therefore, the willingness to respond to criticism and further develop the track is crucial. “We will just have to wait and see if it might be a bit too much of a good thing once we have done a few laps and can give feedback to the FIA and the Grand Prix officials.”
Until then, Sainz, like the rest of the paddock, remains positive. “I have talked to the drivers and they all seem quite surprised by the track Madrid has put together,” reveals the Spaniard.
“It has character and creates anticipation. It is not an ordinary track that is simply added to the calendar, but something a bit different.”
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