The gloomy Max Verstappen image choice after yet another street circuit

Henry Valantine
Max Verstappen Madrid social media.

A social media post from Max Verstappen's team saw him looking a bit glum at the announcement of Madrid.

A social media post from the official website of Max Verstappen at the arrival of F1’s newest street circuit left few wondering about the potential thoughts of the reigning World Champion on the matter.

Madrid was announced as the new venue of the Spanish Grand Prix on a 10-year deal from the 2026 season, with the Spanish capital announcing a new 5.474km, 20-corner circuit that will take in a part-street layout centred around the IFEMA exhibition centre in the city.

Verstappen has been outspoken in his critique of having too many street circuits on the Formula 1 calendar in the past, and the post in response to the news from the Verstappen.com Instagram page may give some indication as to how the man himself may feel about it.

Max Verstappen official website posts straight-faced reaction to Madrid announcement

Verstappen memorably took his first race victory in Formula 1 in his debut Grand Prix weekend with Red Bull in 2016, around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – which is now fighting for its future on the calendar beyond 2026.

But while that post won’t have been from Verstappen himself, with that having come through his official website, their followers noticed the expression of the World Champion in it and agreed in the comments.

Comments ranged from: “I think Max’s face sums it up nicely. Yet another street track is so unnecessary”, to: “Not another street circuit! Max’s face sums up my reaction to it”, and: “Have the same face reaction as Max, another street circuit is replacing the iconic one.”

Another user added: “I think the fact that you chose to upload this picture with that face says everything”, though F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has been keen to stress that the future of Barcelona is not set in stone – and there is a chance it may still remain on the calendar beyond 2026 itself.

PlanetF1.com recommends

F1 schedule: When is the next F1 race and where is it being held?

The nine F1 circuits under threat of calendar axe with contract statuses revealed

Speaking at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, Verstappen spoke passionately about the need to keep “proper racetracks” in Formula 1, citing himself as something of a racing traditionalist.

Despite the trend from Formula 1 towards introducing more street circuits, the three-time World Champion believes the sport’s classic circuits are where the cars come alive.

“For me, when I was a little kid it was about the emotion of the sport, what I fell in love with and not the show of the sport around it because I think as a real racer, that shouldn’t really matter,” Verstappen told reporters in Las Vegas.

“First of all a racing car, a Formula 1 car anyway on a street circuit, I think doesn’t really come alive. It’s not that exciting.

“I think it’s more about just proper racetracks. You know, when you go to Spa, Monza, these kind of places, they have a lot of emotion and passion.”

Read next: Big question facing Red Bull’s RB20 as four rivals plan F1 attack