Formula 1’s first encounter with the circuit around the IFEMA complex in Madrid has produced less chaos than some in the paddock may have feared. While the F3 and F2 sessions have seen several crashes and even a car going up in flames, the only F1 incident so far at the Spanish Grand Prix has been a crash for Arvid Lindblad.
For now, then, the Madring has not proved to be a ‘car killer’ in the premier class, although that does not mean Max Verstappen is a big fan of the latest addition to the F1 calendar.
Asked for his first impression of the circuit, he simply replied: “Yeah...”
Asked whether that was all the four-time world champion had to say, he continued: “Yeah, I don't know. I'm not a fan of street circuits so that will never change. I will always prefer to drive on a track like Spa.
“I mean, what they have done here, like the way they have built everything up, I think they've done a really good job, but I'm not a fan of street circuits.”
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache does describe the track as very challenging from an engineering point of view due to the variety of corners. Overtaking, however, is going to be an enormous challenge, the Frenchman predicts.
“It has quite a lot of types of corners and that is interesting from an engineering point of view,” he said. “But apart from that, it will be very difficult to overtake, it looks like that.”
Max Verstappen: "I'm not a fan of street circuits"
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
When Wache talks about the challenge for engineers, that is not only because of the variety of corner types. Teams also have to find a compromise in terms of ride height and car stiffness: stiff enough for the high-speed corners and the banking, but soft enough to attack the kerbs.
“Yeah, and I think compromising between some corners and the deployment as well. Some corners are full throttle and put some sliding on the tyres, that's something we have to see. But yeah, it's challenging.”
A new circuit theoretically offers opportunities as well, but Verstappen already said yesterday that he does not expect it to present Red Bull with a golden chance of winning a race. That picture was confirmed on Friday with sixth place, four tenths behind fastest man Kimi Antonelli.
“From our side, this is more or less where we are”, Verstappen said. “We just need to work a little bit on the balance, trying to get a bit more out of it over one lap and then see how the tyres hold up in the long run. But I guess everyone is a bit in the same boat.”
Aside from that, Verstappen also experienced an issue with the power steering in the second practice session, but he does not expect that problem to trouble him for the rest of the weekend.
“Well, I mean, it's all drivable, but it was not feeling the same [in FP2]. But they will fix it.”
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