"I nearly dozed off" – F1 competitors advocate for modifications to Madrid circuit following "extremely lackluster" Spanish GP

The Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix unfolded precisely as many drivers had dreaded. Max Verstappen remarked on Saturday that he couldn't identify a single chance for overtaking and told Dutch media, "Just give me the track map," suggesting he would propose various modifications.

On Sunday, passing was indeed nearly impossible, which left no doubt about the atmosphere in the paddock post-race: the Madring is captivating for a single lap, especially from the drivers’ viewpoint, but the overall excitement during the race was notably lacking.

When Motorsport.com highlighted that several in the media center nearly dozed off during the initial race at the IFEMA complex, Gabriel Bortoleto replied, “I almost nodded off too!”

Even Kimi Antonelli, the race winner, echoed this sentiment. The championship leader found qualifying enjoyable but was not impressed by the race.

"It definitely doesn’t allow for overtaking and doesn’t encourage you to attempt a move, because 80% of the time, you might end up making contact," said the Mercedes driver after the event.

"I think especially in the second chicane, had I turned in there, Lando and I could have collided and possibly crashed into the wall, blocking the track. That wouldn't have been ideal.

"Therefore, I believe there are certain corners that need adjustment to foster more overtaking opportunities, because right now, while it's thrilling for one lap, during the race, you're just stuck behind."

Antonelli indicates that overtaking attempts in Madrid often result in a crash

The drivers had anticipated this beforehand, especially since the designers had not sought their input beforehand. Verstappen pointed out that this only occurred in Jeddah after the track was deemed unsafe in its inaugural year, but not with new circuits like the Madring.

Moving forward, drivers hope to see a shift in this approach. This includes Haas' Oliver Bearman, who suffered a significant crash during third practice on Saturday and missed qualifying.

"You just have to look at the layout, and it's evident that it's not going to be a good track for racing," Bearman remarked when asked by Motorsport.com about the lack of overtakes.

"I mean, when you arrive and see that layout, you're like, what do you expect us to do? It's a bit disappointing."

He believes there are two key factors contributing to this: making offensive moves extremely challenging while defense is too simple.

"Not only do you encounter numerous lengthy combined exits where it's tough to apply power, but there are plenty of combined entries as well. It's very easy to drive a bit recklessly while defending your position, making it very difficult to execute an overtake.

"We already communicated this to the FIA on Friday, and we need to explore ways to make the track a bit more engaging for us, because it's definitely interesting to drive, but in the race, it’s quite poor."

Verstappen had already indicated on Saturday that he couldn’t spot any overtaking chances

What Bearman discerned from the layout was swiftly validated during the race weekend in the junior categories, Alex Albon concluded.

"I hope there's a willingness to consider some track modifications for next year," the Williams driver stated. "I mean, if the F3 cars can't overtake, then you know there's going to be no overtaking the entire weekend.

"I think a couple of adjustments could resolve the issue. Otherwise, honestly, it's not a bad track. It's quite enjoyable to drive, but as seen in the races, it’s rather dull."

Three areas to enhance at the Madring for 2027

While Albon suggests that relatively minor changes are required for 2027, the drivers have already proposed several recommendations throughout the weekend – starting with the Williams driver himself.

"Much of it revolves around Turn 3 to Turn 5. I believe that entire section needs to be redesigned, perhaps with straighter braking zones. We should eliminate that chicane. It’s visually appealing, but it’s not conducive to racing," Albon commented.

"And regarding the banking, as impressive as it is, it's not doing an adequate job in Turn 13. Turn 13 may need to become a slower corner, with a larger braking zone."

In addition to the chicane formed by Turns 5 and 6 being detrimental to racing, Bortoleto also identified another issue on Sunday.

"Just the jump in T5, doing that for 50 laps, you end up with quite a headache by the end of the race. So, it’s not the easiest on our bodies," the Audi driver remarked.

According to the drivers, turns 5 and 6 in particular need alterations, although Albon claims the banking isn’t providing enough assistance either

Aside from the section around Turn 5 – where drivers encounter the majority of the issues – Lando Norris also has a suggestion for the final segment of the circuit.

"I think there are some clear modifications that should be made. They should eliminate Turn 18 and 19; they serve no purpose. Just create a longer straight leading into a hairpin. I don’t know how anyone looks at this design and thinks, ‘Perfect.’ Yeah, I believe there’s a lot of potential."

That adjustment would remind the reigning world champion of what he perceives as a good model: the Circuit of the Americas.

"To me, it’s not an exceptional racetrack. It shines in qualifying, but, you know, a straight shot from 17 to 20 [would help], allowing for a much broader entry similar to Austin's Turn 1 or Turn 10, a significant hairpin. You’d create far better chances for everyone and enhance the enjoyment of the race.

"There are some straightforward changes and perhaps some more complex ones, like Turn 5, 6, 7. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what the best solution is. The requirement to turn and brake essentially undermines the entire purpose of racing. Therefore, they can implement some simple changes, I believe, easy adjustments and perhaps some more challenging ones, but I hope they do it because it should be more thrilling for everyone."

In addition to Turns 5-6 and 18-19, the drivers are also advocating for another modification: a shorter pitlane, to encourage more stops and introduce greater strategic diversity.