MAD to host a MONUMENTAL F1 race | 2026 Spanish GP at the MADRing in Madrid

Soumil Arora (0:01)

Every gameday, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

SPEAKER_2 (0:11)

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Why wait?

Soumil Arora (0:30)

The Spanish Grand Prix is here. It wasn't Catalonia. Normally, that's been the Spanish Grand Prix for the longest time. But Formula 1 has decided to do things differently. We have a new circuit. It's our first new circuit since Las Vegas. It's another new street circuit. It's another circuit with over 20 corners. Madrid is on the Formula 1 calendar. And on the Inside Line F1 Podcast, our mission today is to dissect the track, what to expect over the weekend and the biggest stories that have been circulating around the paddock since we last went racing in Monza. Welcome along, folks. My name is Soumil Arora. Kunal Shah joins me. We both commentate on the Hindi Formula 1 broadcast for Fancode among many of our other Motorsport projects as well. But heading into this weekend, Kunal, there is a genuine buzz because this MADRing circuit is genuinely mad.

It's ludicrous. How many fast corners just keep coming at you?

Kunal Shah (1:25)

It is ludicrous. And congratulations to Liberty Media, the mayor of Madrid, to the fans in Spain, to actually get a new racing venue in Europe. Because Liberty Media otherwise, or FOM as we know them, Formula 1 management has been focused on taking the sport to outside of Europe, whether it's the Asian races or the races in America and the likes. But for once, they actually realize that the traditional stronghold in Europe, that fan base, can do with a second race. And the mayor of Madrid is very nicely pointing out each time, that this is actually one of the largest European cities to actually have its own race within city or city limits. And Soumil, my favorite fact of MADRing is not that it's a semi street race and a semi permanent build structure. You know how we've seen several of these other circuits like Australia and Canada, where there are parts which is a street race and there are parts which is custom built. My favorite fact is that there are zero manhole covers. That's how they have planned the MADRing circuit. Because you remember, yeah, every time we've gone to a new circuit and you remember Las Vegas, there was either a manhole cover coming out or I remember, was it Baku or maybe it was Las Vegas itself that when the car was lifted in a tow truck and driving through, there wasn't enough space to let the tow truck do. So lots of learnings from other circuits that have come, most specifically that there are zero manhole covers.

Soumil Arora (2:51)

But does that mean that there will be zero red flags? I don't think so. I don't think so because when Formula 3, when testing here a couple of weeks ago, we had a total of 19 stoppages, Kunal, in a couple of days. 19

Now take it with a pinch of salt because obviously they were the first cars ever to run on that tarmac. So there's barely any grip. The circuit is super green. The rubber gets laid down. Drivers are learning the track. It's not a video game. We don't get a flashback option and every crash ends up being more costly. However, it is a sign because the walls are super close here. I mean, I'm looking at the track layout and seeing corners like turn number six, this violent entry into the chicane. And we're like, man, this is so tight. If anyone tries to go make an overtake here, they are definitely crashing out. And same with turn one and two. Have you seen how narrow it is?

Kunal Shah (3:41)

It's a very narrow circuit. And I actually beg to differ with you on one thing. Yes, Formula 3 had 19 red flags over two days of driving. But remember, this is Formula 1 The drivers are far more experienced, far better trained. And they know what it takes to keep the cars out of the barriers.

SPEAKER_2 (4:00)

Most of them do.

Kunal Shah (4:02)

I was just going to say, apart from maybe one of them out there. But I get a feeling.

Maybe now two, yeah.

Soumil Arora (4:09)

If you know, you know. And we will get to that topic as well.

But yes.

Kunal Shah (4:13)

Yeah. So my sense here, Soumil, is that we're going to get a clean race weekend. Yes, they will do everything in the practice sessions and they'll probably find the barriers. So when it comes to qualifying, when it comes to the race, they will clean up their act. Some of or most of the 22 drivers that are going to be racing in Formula 1, which actually makes me ask the question, will F3 and F2 sessions be delayed? And if their delays will cause further delays in the Formula 1 schedule, that's another thing to look out for. Which we will get at, but you mentioned some of the corners. And it's a beautiful, fast, flowing circuit. And I actually sat to write down, what does each sector look like? So Sector 1 is just plain, very fast. It's just fast and flowing.