F1 | MADRID GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “A TRACK WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED. FERRARI NEEDS TO BOUNCE BACK”

After having filed away the extraordinary weekend at Monza, highlighted by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s splendid and historic win, our eyes are already drawn to the next race. Formula 1 arrives in Madrid which will make its debut in the world championship calendar with a completely new track that is waiting to be discovered.

This will be a new challenge for the teams and drivers.  There are no data points gathered during previous Grands Prix to draw upon, and for this very reason, the work carried out on the simulator will take on even greater importance, starting from the first free practice sessions, it will be essential to verify that the simulations match the actual behaviour of the racing cars and quickly finding the right benchmarks and the best setup.

The Madring is a semipermanent circuit of about 5.4 kilometres and 22 bends, alternating city streets with specially constructed sections. On paper, it presents very different characteristics, including fast turns, fast braking points and changes of elevation. The expected speeds could reach 340 km/h.

One of the most distinctive features will certainly be “La Monumental”, the long-banked turn 12 with a bank angle that reaches 24%. It will be interesting to see which aerodynamic approach the teams will choose and how hard it will be to find the right balance between speed on the straight, stability under braking and the downforce needed in the tighter sections.

On a completely new track, the drivers’ ability to adapt and the speed of the engineers in analysing the data collected during the first sessions could make a big difference. I also expect the track to evolve significantly during the weekend.

Ferrari however will be able to count on a few more data points to work with compared to its rivals thanks to the Filming Day in July. This is a small advantage, especially in the very early stages of the weekend. I expect them to mount a strong comeback after the disappointment at Monza. Their home Grand Prix ended well below expectations with Leclerc’s retirement in the opening laps and Hamilton’s sixth place. Madrid offers the Team an immediate chance to turn a new leaf. Furthermore, the characteristics of the new track seem to be more favourable compared to Monza, where the speed on the straight was one of their main weak points.

Of course, all eyes will be drawn to Andrea Kim Antonelli. He comes to Madrid as the leader of the World Championship and riding on wave of enthusiasm following his incredible win at Monza, after starting from nineteenth place on the grid. It will be interesting to see if Mercedes can maintain its dominance even on a track with such radically different characteristics.

Il will be an important testing ground also for McLaren. At Monza they knew they had to be more on the defensive compared to previous races, but they probably hoped to achieve something more than fourth place with Norris and fifth place with Piastri. After the strong progress shown before the Italian Grand Prix, the new Spanish track may give us further indications of the true balance of power with Mercedes.

Of course, also keep a keen eye on Max Verstappen, who returns from his excellent third place in Monza. On a completely new track, the experience and skill of the driver to find the limits of the racing car quickly could take on even greater importance and, in this regard, Max certainly remains one of the top contenders.

It will certainly be a particularly special weekend for Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, who will race in front of their home crowd. For Sainz it will have even greater significance since he was born right here in Madrid. They are two highly experienced drivers, and I am convinced that the support of the Spanish fans will give them even more motivation.

In terms of the tyres, Pirelli has chosen the intermediate range made up of C2, C3 and C4. Since there are no precedents, the choice was made based on the simulations. The expected stresses are significant and comparable to those of demanding tracks such as Silverstone and Francorchamps.  In addition, the choice could favour s two-stop strategy and offer greater protection from overheating in high temperatures.

Therefore, Madrid is a big unknown. Mercedes comes from the spectacular one-two in Monza, McLaren needs to bounce back after a disappointing weekend that fell well below expectations, Ferrari is looking to redeem itself immediately and Verstappen is still an adversary not to be underestimated.

On a circuit where we are essentially starting from scratch, I believe the skill of the drivers to adapt, their work on the simulators and above all the speed of the teams in interpreting the data collected after the first free practice sessions will be crucial.

Gian Carlo Minardi