Max Verstappen Unenthusiastic About F1's New Madrid Circuit

Formula 1's first encounter with the circuit around the IFEMA complex in Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix produced less chaos than some in the paddock had feared. While the F3 and F2 sessions saw several crashes and a car catching fire, the only F1 incident so far has been a crash involving Arvid Lindblad. Although the new venue has not proven to be a 'car killer' in the premier class, it has failed to win over four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

When asked for his initial impression, Verstappen bluntly stated that he is not a fan of street circuits and will always prefer tracks like Spa, despite praising the organizers for doing a really good job with the overall setup. From an engineering standpoint, Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache described the track as very challenging due to its variety of corners, which forces teams to compromise on ride height, car stiffness, and power deployment. Wache also predicted that overtaking is going to be an enormous challenge.

Verstappen's expectations were confirmed on Friday as he finished sixth in practice, four-tenths of a second behind fastest man Kimi Antonelli. The Dutch driver noted that Red Bull needs to work on car balance for single-lap performance and see how the tyres hold up in the long run. Additionally, Verstappen experienced an issue with his power steering during the second practice session, though he expressed confidence that the team would fix the problem for the remainder of the weekend.