Sainz promises Madrid’s urban F1 circuit will not lack character

Carlos Sainz believes Madrid’s Madring Formula 1 circuit will have its own character as it combines street sections with fast and flowing swoops.

On Friday, the organisers and local authorities presented Madrid’s 5.47km layout that will take over the running of the Spanish Grand Prix from September next year, joining Barcelona on the calendar in 2026 before likely becoming Spain’s sole grand prix venue.

The layout is a hybrid between tight street circuit sections around the IFEMA exhibition centre as well as a purpose-built, more open half featuring high-speed corners and a steep banking around the Valdebebas festival grounds.

Sainz, who joined the presentation as an ambassador for the event, said he reassured his fellow F1 drivers that his new home track will feature plenty of character.

“The drivers have asked me about the circuit, the corners, the layout… I’ve told them not to worry, that I’m going to try to help as much as possible to make the circuit a good show,” Sainz said.

“What I ask of an F1 circuit as a driver is that it has charisma and character, that it has a lot of corners that make it different.

“There are circuits like Baku, which has no major corners beyond the castle section, but it has character, because it’s very long straights, there’s a lot of overtaking, it’s spectacular.

“There is Jeddah, which is all fast corners and also spectacular. They’re all urban circuits, but they’ve managed to have character.

“And what I ask of Madring and what we are achieving is that it has that character between being a hybrid circuit, with an urban area with the walls very close and then that more open part, more like a traditional European circuit, which is what we drivers like the most.

“The final part, the banked corners and fast corner sequences… it’s more what we like and what we see at the traditional European circuits. And this circuit has both, it has the open area and the more closed area of the walls.”

Watch: Discover the complete MADRING layout

With the venue built on the outskirts of Spain’s capital, on well connected fairgrounds close to the Barajas airport, Sainz hopes Madrid can elevate the Spanish Grand Prix to one of the best events on the calendar.

“Everything that will be around it, all the concerts and all the activations will help the city a lot,” he argued.

“I think we can have the best circuit in the world and the best event of the whole calendar.

“There are going to be 24 races, and Mexico, Miami and Las Vegas are doing very well, but I sincerely believe that Madrid can beat them, and we are going to go for it.”