Formula 1 Tag Heuer Gran Premio de España 2026Formula 1 

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Jimlaad43

Jimlaad43

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For the first time since 2023, Formula 1 heads to a new circuit in the oddly named Madring. The hybrid street circuit laid around around the IFEMA Madrid exhibition centre and next to the training ground for Real Madrid football team, the layout itself has been hotly debated and derided approaching the event. A layout made of a lot of compromise chicanes like T14-16 at Miami due to the need for the track to travel through tunnels twice to access the back portion are one of the main criticisms, but the seeming lack of straights for overtaking and possibly two sections where a 90 degree corner section could have been hypotenused (not a word but possibly the best way to describe it) may not produce a race of passing. However, with the electric regen of the 2026 power units and the comparison of this layout to a large scale Formula E track, this season may be the race where the track actually works. Off camber chicanes and a 2-day F3 test a few weeks ago that had 19 Red Flags, perhaps a chaos race is in store. Will "La Monumental" be as iconic as the sport seems to think it already is? We will only find out at the SPANISH GRAND PRIX!
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Circuit Length
5.416km

First Grand Prix
2026

Number of Laps
57

Fastest lap time
--

Race Distance
308.524km


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Looks like low speed rear grip coming out of corners will be the key here.
 
Who has the best Madring hairstyle?

Josuke Higashikata from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Hugh Neutron from Jimmy Neutron or Rotten Robbie from LazyTown?
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Remember everyone thought Vegas would be garbage and delivered a classic?
 
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It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Madring

I'm personally of the belief we have a real banger of a race coming up here. Every time there's been a new track added that brings both the drivers and fans trepidation - Baku, Jeddah, Vegas, Miami - they end up delivering a bunch of great races (and I'd reckon Vietnam would've joined that list as well). Considering this track looks to be the kookiest of the bunch, I've no reason to not think this won't be top tier, possibly Race of the Year contender. Totally prepared to eat my words on this one; the Racer in me knows this track will suck, but the Fanboy side is expecting the opposite.
 
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MagpieRacer
Remember everyone thought Vegas would be garbage and delivered a classic?
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I'll bet on 1 red flag in quali and 2 red flags in the race due to incidents. F3 test a few weeks ago already had a few of them. walls are really close here, could be an interesting race in terms of strategy with red flags
 
All around me are these mobile bases
Expensive places, plastic faces
Driving fast to make up some places
Going nowhere, going nowhere

The teams are fillin' up their race cars
Expectations, Expectations,
Hide my head, I wanna drown my sorrow
No Q2, no Q2

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
Ferrari dreams are dying, Stroll's the worse we've ever had,
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When drivers race in circles, it's a very, very

Mad Ring
Mad Ring
 
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I expect a race with multiple red flags.

Track seems dangerous to me.
 
MagpieRacer
Remember everyone thought Vegas would be garbage and delivered a classic?
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Unfortunately this track looks more Valencia than Vegas. Vegas was just a track of similar corners and long straights, with the organisation, hype and "show" around it being the issue. In the end, Vegas was the only one of these new tracks built in the absolute best place in a city it visits. IFEMA isn't exactly the place people think of first in Madrid and the layout just doesn't have enough proper overtaking spots on a string-the-cars-out kind of layout.

F3 having a championship finale here is going to be unbridled chaos where survival rather than racing wins the title I fear. We shall see.
 
GlamFM
I expect a race with multiple red flags.

Track seems dangerous to me.
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I agree, the Madring has several sharp turns and chicanes that if you make a mistake, can cause yellow and/or red flags depends on the incident. I tried this circuit on EA F1 25 and I crashed several times either I made a mistake or my car was going sideways, going too wide or any other mistakes and few times I got through the circuit without crashes in both race and time trial.
 
Apart from the corny ass name and marketing, it seems like it could be a fun circuit to watch, but I dislike how much F1 is relying on street circuits. If there is a favorite street circuit I have, it would be between Monaco and Baku.

But I genuinely miss Hockenheim Ring and Nürburgring being on the calendar. There's also Mugello, which I loved seeing for the time they raced there.
 
Was just battering the GTPFF1 stats and I was very surprised to notice that, by our scoring, Lewis Hamilton had been briefly leading the points until the result in Italy.

It turns out he's not only the only driver to finish every race (Antonelli has also been classified in every race), but the only driver to score points in every race, and hasn't finished below 6th in the entire season. He's also the only driver to complete all 798 laps of the season so far - being one of four to finish on the lead lap at Canada and one of five at Barcelona (which he won).

Actually amazing stats - and if he can keep it going it'll be the third season in four that a driver completed every lap (Verstappen 2023, Piastri 2024) and only the fifth ever joining Michael Schumacher (2002) and himself in 2012.... and nobody has ever done it twice.
 
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Famine
and if he can keep it going it'll be the third season in four that a driver completed every lap
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and now you jinxed it.
phillgt2002
Apart from the corny ass name and marketing, it seems like it could be a fun circuit to watch, but I dislike how much F1 is relying on street circuits. If there is a favorite street circuit I have, it would be between Monaco and Baku.
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same, i'm happy Sepang makes a one-off return this year and would also like to see more racetracks again instead of road courses. Magny-Cours, Istanbul, Mugello, Hockenheim...
 
StackedMan256
the Madring has several sharp turns and chicanes that if you make a mistake, can cause yellow and/or red flags depends on the incident.
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Well, during F2 practice session, Tasanapol crashed into the wall and the car is on fire. But thankfully, He came out unharmed. This crash and F3 test before then is the reason why expect several yellow and/or red flag on this circuit because of sharp turns and chicanes that I mentioned before.
 
StackedMan256
Well, during F2 practice session, Tasanapol crashed into the wall and the car is on fire. But thankfully, He came out unharmed. This crash and F3 test before then is the reason why expect several yellow and/or red flag on this circuit because of sharp turns and chicanes that I mentioned before.
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Looked Monumental..

But in all seriousness, that was a nasty impact, I can't find a good video of it but he comes off La Monumental backwards at high speed.
 
Lewis in the wall and decided to hold up the session for just about everyone else. That aside, he was looking really good there for a moment.

This track feels like it's going to be a qualifying track and the racing will just be a procession. I can't really see a solid spot for overtaking there.
 
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How Colapinto kept it out of the wall after that snap in the banking, I don't know 😮
 
Lando Norris takes the Pole Position at the Spanish Grand Prix!
 
Lando is in the form of his life.

Misses FP2 entirely - puts it on pole.
 
Not a fan of the track. Dull location and just one nice corner in a sea of meh.

Mega lap by Lando though.
 
Lance Stroll has been given a 40 place grid penalty for changing several components, meaning he'll have to start all the way from the back, instead of (checks notes) all the way at the back.
 
PaMu1337
Lance Stroll has been given a 40 place grid penalty for changing several components, meaning he'll have to start all the way from the back, instead of (checks notes) all the way at the back.
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That's a shame, if everything plays out right he still has a chance at finishing all the way at the back.
 
PaMu1337
Lance Stroll has been given a 40 place grid penalty for changing several components, meaning he'll have to start all the way from the back, instead of (checks notes) all the way at the back.
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ROAD_DOGG33J
That's a shame, if everything plays out right he still has a chance at finishing all the way at the back.
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Unlikely, unless one of the components is Lance Stroll.
 
Track looks interesting. Hopefully it's not too difficult to pass. Stoked to see Lando on pole.
 
PaMu1337
Lance Stroll has been given a 40 place grid penalty for changing several components, meaning he'll have to start all the way from the back, instead of (checks notes) all the way at the back.
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So he's effectively starting from the back of the grid in Barcelona. :lol:

Also, after watching the F3 highlights, I feel like this is going to be a complete mess tomorrow.
 
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Incredible from Norris! And all that with missing FP2 as well. This track looks really fun to drive, blind apexes and very high tyre wear. Strategy will play a huge role tomorrow and tyre offset will be powerful. May be a few red flags too
 
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