14 September 2026 13:00 (UTC)
Clever crocheting, big hugs, and football stars: Behind the scenes in Madrid
Allow us to take you behind the scenes of the Spanish Grand Prix and deep into the paddock, with our regular post-race wrap-up. Covering all the action you might have missed, we'll explore everything from the outfits that caught our attention to the strongest snaps and the standout quotes.
Plenty of intrigue built up ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, as the new Madring circuit made its Formula 1 debut, offering fans and teams new surroundings to get their teeth into.
A fresh circuit drew in some new stars, with a host of famous faces checking into the paddock across the weekend, making the most of it’s easy to reach location in the Spanish capital.
On track, the drivers were busy getting to grips with a new layout, which resulted in an impressive Pole for Lando, who took P3 on Sunday, while Oscar battled hard to P8 amidst difficult circumstances.
Here’s what caught our eye over a busy weekend…
There is nothing we love more than the support of the Papaya Family, and when we get the chance to treat one or two, we’re never going to pass it up. In Madrid, crochet queen Aroa was in the crowd, and we knew we had to do something special.
Aroa spent eight months making an incredible Oscar rug, with 72,000 stitches creating a brilliant tapestry of OP81. She brought it with her to the Spanish capital, adding to its lineage of famous artwork. We tracked her down in Madrid to surprise her with a paddock pass as a reward for her serious skill and dedication.
Before the race, Oscar and Lando put their hearing - or rather, lip-reading - to the test by taking on the headphone challenge. They were as competitive as you’d expect, although there might be room for improvement when it comes to some of the answers…
Madrid is a picturesque addition to the circuit, making it particularly painful if you forget your camera. Luckily, our quick-thinking media team were able to improvise…
In the lead-up to this weekend’s first race at the Madring, there was plenty of discussion around the key features of the new circuit in the Spanish capital. Most notably, a lot of excitement to see the huge ‘La Monumental’ banked turn raced on in person.
With 45,000 spectators seated along its 500m curve, it was always going to pack a punch, and it made for some brilliant photos. Here’s Oscar’s MCL40 soaring along the huge camber.
Madrid is a true sporting city, so it was no surprise to see the paddock packed with famous footballers. Real Madrid beat fellow Madrid side Rayo Vallecano 4-1 on Saturday night, and a selection of their squad celebrated by visiting the circuit on race day.
England star Jude Bellingham and his brother Jobe were among those to visit our garage, with the pair getting a good look at the MCL40, while Brazilian forward Endrick enjoyed behind-the-scenes access during the race. Teammate Bernardo Silva also popped by to do a shirt swap with Lando and Oscar - we’ll be finding a good home for that on the wall back at base.
The sporting stardust was spread out across the weekend, with Saturday having already seen former Galactico and England captain David Beckham stop by for a picture with Zak Brown.
The pit lane was filled with footballers throughout the weekend, with the likes of current stars Trent Alexander-Arnold and Vinicius Jr., along with former heroes Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo, all in attendance at the Madring.
To celebrate Formula 1’s first new circuit since 2023, Lando brought out a fresh helmet design for the Madring, paying homage to Madrid in the process.
Local artist Be Fernandez designed the pop art-style helmet, with a brief to capture the city’s culture and soul in her vibrant design. She certainly achieved that, with the eye-catching colourful helmet earning plenty of admirers in the paddock and beyond.
Lando is no stranger to Pole, but his flying lap in Madrid will live longer in the memory than most, with him becoming the Madring’s first Polesitter. He secured the 19th Pole of his career with a near-flawless lap.
His reaction said it all - he could barely believe just how quickly he had gone. It was made all the more impressive by the fact that he’d missed almost the entirety of FP2 with a gearbox issue.
Lando punched the air as he got out of his MCL40, and after he’d found a moment to take it all in and congratulate the team who’d helped him achieve it, his mum, Cisca, was there to give him the best celebration of all: a great big hug.
“It's frustrating when you have the performance to win and the racing gods aren't on your side, but we will take it on the chin.”
Team Principal Andrea Stella was left ruing forces out of our control after a dramatic Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The timing of the Virtual Safety Car meant Lando was unable to capitalise on his blistering early pace, though that in itself was encouraging ahead of the final third of the season.
Our trip to Madrid brought an end to a frenetic summer of European double-headers. There’s no racing next weekend, giving us time to regroup at the McLaren Technology Centre before heading into the final third of the season.
The MCL40 will be back on track in Baku at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which gets underway on 24 September, with a slightly different schedule: the race weekend runs from Thursday to Saturday on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
For those looking for a slice of papaya this week, keep your eyes out for the best looks from the Designed to Race: Front Row fashion show on 16 September. Students from Central Saint Martins have been creating 12 runway looks inspired by six decades of McLaren history.
