9 September 2026 17:00 (UTC)
“Heading to a completely new circuit in Madrid brings both immense opportunity and risk”
Forty-five years after Madrid last held a Grand Prix, Formula 1 is returning to the Spanish capital at a new track, the Madring.
Madrid is a sporting city most often defined by the football behemoths of Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Trips to the Bernabéu and the Metropolitano stadiums are bucket list items for sport fans, but a seat among the 110,000 spectators at F1’s newest circuit now offers another reason to visit the Spanish capital.
The street circuit is looking to become a modern classic in a city full of history. If you’re lucky enough to be attending this weekend, we’d recommend visiting the Museo del Prado, one of the world’s largest art galleries and home to works by some of history’s most celebrated artists.
To get you in the mood for this weekend’s action in Madrid, we have run through the season so far, looked at where the race will be won, and put another question to Lando and Oscar. We have also caught up with Technical Director - Performance Mark Temple to get his thoughts on F1’s newest track, and an update on upgrades.
"Heading to a completely new circuit in Madrid brings both immense opportunity and risk. We have solid simulation data regarding the track layout, energy deployment, and aerodynamic demands, but the biggest variable remains tyre behaviour on this new asphalt. Understanding track grip and surface conditions during Friday practice will be vital for shaping the rest of our weekend.
"The track itself is tight, demanding exceptional braking stability, especially while cornering, as well as precise kerb-riding through the low-speed sections, alongside a few crucial high-speed turns. While our ongoing aerodynamic and mechanical refinements for the MCL40 continue to move us forward step-by-step, the margins between the top teams are still close. New venues reward the teams that adapt fastest - our objective is to build confidence and performance progressively through every session and deliver maximum result when it counts on Sunday."
As this is a brand-new circuit, there’s no way of knowing exactly how the race will unfold. Preparation has centred on simulator work to familiarise Oscar and Lando with the layout and establish an initial setup direction.
However, the circuit’s true demands, including grip levels, tyre behaviour and energy deployment, will only become clear once the cars run in real-world conditions.
The semi-permanent street circuit will combine public roads with private land, similarly to the Miami International Autodrome, which includes two tunnel sections that run underneath a motorway.
Any newly designed circuit needs a standout feature, and the Madring’s is La Monumental - a flat-out 500m-long banked corner with a 24 per cent gradient, ending with a blind exit.
The Madring has a little bit of everything, including long straights, chicanes, the downhill section between Turns 7 and 9, and several overtaking opportunities that should suit the new generation of cars. But with no race having taken place at the circuit, there’s only one way to find out where it will be won: go racing.
After back-to-back victories at the high-downforce circuits of Budapest and Zandvoort, which suit our car’s current characteristics, Monza’s low-drag demands proved more challenging for the MCL40. Even so, Lando and Oscar maximised our potential, finishing fourth and fifth respectively and scoring 22 points.
Those points leave us third in the Constructors’ standings with 287 points, 59 off second. In the Drivers’ Championship, Lando is fourth on 171 points, while Oscar is seventh with 116.
We head to Madrid determined to fight for a podium finish. This weekend will also see the team introduce some minor aerodynamic updates to the MCL40, while the H-Wing that debuted in Monza won’t be used at this circuit.
11 - 13 SEP
Visiting Spain for a second time this year is something of a novelty for F1, but by no means a one-off. Valencia held the European Grand Prix for five years, from 2008 to 2012, while Jerez hosted the race in 1997, when it was the season finale.
“It was certainly strange to have the end-of-season race back in Europe, with the season normally finishing as a flyaway race,” says Mark Ingham, who was the Design Team Leader for the Engine Systems Group at the time. “It was great that everyone at home could watch on a normal time zone as the action unfolded.”
Jacques Villeneuve was leading just after the midway point, and on course to claim the Drivers’ Championship, with his rival Michael Schumacher retiring from the race.
Focused on bringing the car home in order to secure the title, the Williams driver had allowed Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard in the McLarens to close in.
“The race was quite unbelievable,” says Mark. “We knew we had been improving the car that season, with David able to get a couple of race wins earlier in the year.”
The MP4/12s caught and passed Villeneuve on the final lap, with the Canadian driver getting well out of the way. Mika was ahead and past the Chequered Flag to claim his first Grand Prix win, but it could have gone the other way. DC was ahead of his teammate for much of the race… but the Scotsman already had a couple of victories in 1997, and Mika hadn’t had much luck.
“This was a proper fairy-tale ending for Mika to win the final race, and the team to score a 1-2 finish. Everyone was absolutely overjoyed,” recalls Mark. “It was the first 1-2 finish in six years, so it was a massive confidence boost for the team, but also for Mika. We all went into the winter to work on our 1998 car with renewed belief.”
“Winning gives you such amazing confidence,” recalls Mika. “People stop asking when you’re going to win because it’s done. You can focus on the next challenge, which was winning more, and winning World Championships.
“Jerez was the last Grand Prix of the year, so I got to be a winner for the whole winter. I got a lot of confidence from that, and when we started for 1998, I knew straight away. I knew how good the car was, and I knew I had the experience I needed to win. Everything just slotted into the right place.”
Each race week, we’ll be putting the same question to Lando and Oscar to find out just how similar (or different) they really are. The question could be anything: from their favourite corner on the F1 calendar, to their ultimate pre-race anthem, or even the one food they absolutely refuse to eat on race week.
This week, we asked them to name one artist they think everyone should be listening to.
Lando: Just one? Martin Garrix.
Oscar: Music is very subjective, so I’ll say Calvin Harris, as he’s got quite a broad style.
Follow all of the action this weekend via the McLaren Racing App, available to download on Android and iOS.
