Madring to make changes after Max Verstappen branded excuses ‘BS’

The Madring circuit is set for changes ahead of next year’s Spanish Grand Prix after its underwhelming F1 debut was criticised for a lack of overtaking opportunities.

The Madring circuit in Madrid made its debut last weekend, with Kimi Antonelli claiming victory ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen criticises Madring track design after Spanish GP

Antonelli was running in second place for most of the Grand Prix, first behind Lando Norris and then behind Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari driver gained the lead on Lap 16 when Norris pitted just as a Virtual Safety Car period ended.

Antonelli, who had pitted while the VSC was still out, quickly caught Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver was able to hold onto the lead despite running on hard tyres that were 15 laps older than the Mercedes driver’s Pirellis.

Lap after lap, Leclerc remained P1 with his advantage over Antonelli ranging from half a second to 3.5s. The Italian, though, was unable to launch an attack. He only gained the lead, and ultimately the win, when Leclerc pitted.

But Antonelli wasn’t the only driver struggling to pass with Oscar Piastri frustrated by Liam Lawson, while Norris wasn’t able to make a pass on Verstappen in their late-race battle.

While there is no official count of the number of passes on Sunday, it was fewer than the 10 at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Verstappen called for changes to the circuit.

“The corners, you can’t overtake. So, in some places, the braking zones, they need to learn that it should never be that you have to steer, that you have to combine under braking because it doesn’t allow any kind of overtaking,” the Red Bull driver told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Madrid.

“For sure, in terms of track design, I think it can be better. I think also input from drivers in the future on track design can I think also help a lot.

“I know they will always come back to you and say, ‘Yeah, but the space…’ But that’s BS. There’s always a way to find an overtaking opportunity around a track.”

The Madring’s organisers, though, have listened.

The event’s managing director Luis Garcia Abad has confirmed that changes will be made ahead of next year’s event, the second Grand Prix in the circuit’s 10-year Formula 1 deal.

“Being honest with you, the FIA defined clearly which is the way to improve the track layout, and we will be open because we will have to reinstall the track for the next year,” Abad told Motorsport.com.

“I really believe that the drivers enjoyed qualifying a lot. But for sure we will try to make an improvement for next year.

“We have the space, we have a venue, we have the facilities, we have the capacity to do it.

“I’m sure that FOM, FIA, and ourselves, we will try. If we can improve something, we will do it.”

More on the Madring’s F1 debut on PlanetF1.com

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Although the Madring features 22 corners, including the La Monumental banked corner, the design of the corners meant that overtaking wasn’t possible.

According to The Race, the Madring’s organisers intend to widen and alter the approach to the Turn 5/6 chicane, reprofile Turn 13 to tighten it and make overtaking possible, and widen the track around Turn 20.

2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg pointed a finger at Madring ambassador Carlos Sainz.

He told Sky Sports: “And Carlos Sainz was the ambassador, so we need to criticise Carlos Sainz.

“They need to revisit the track layout for next year and create one good overtaking opportunity. We need that on this track, because it’s just too hard to overtake.”

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