Madring declared ready for its first F1 Spanish Grand Prix after conclusion of F3 tests

The new Madring circuit debuting this season in Formula One has been deemed ready for its inaugural race after successfully hosting tests with the lower-tiered F3 cars this week.

Organizers said Madring "is ready for the Spanish Grand Prix” on Sept. 13 following two days of running that included several red flags for drivers going off track at the new hybrid circuit.

One driver said it is "the most adrenaline-fueled circuit of the entire season,” while another compared sections of the new track to the circuits on the streets of Monaco and Macau.

A total of 30 drivers and 10 teams raced Monday and Tuesday at the brand-new 5.4-kilometer (3.3-mile) track set around exhibition halls near Madrid’s main airport. The track features a mix of existing roads in the Spanish capital and purpose-built sections.

Organizers said they were able to test "both the track’s performance and the various sporting, technical, medical, safety and coordination operations.” They said "the track and the sporting, technical and safety operations have functioned under real conditions.”
There were nearly 20 stoppages in the sessions because cars went off track and for other reasons.

According to organizers, drivers said they liked what they experienced in the new circuit.
"I feel very comfortable in Macau and Monaco, so I really like this circuit because some sections remind me of them,” said Théophile Naël, who drives for team Van Amersfoort Racing. "When you are flat out, you can feel the g-forces. Inside the car, it is incredible.”

The banked corner "La Monumental” is expected to be the highlight of the new track.
Spanish driver Bruno del Pino described the track as "the most adrenaline-fueled of the entire season.”

"The adrenaline is at 100% on every lap,” he said, adding that the circuit "fills you with energy and gets your heart racing. We are really looking forward to racing here officially.”

Madring signed a contract with F1 through 2035. This year's Spanish GP will mark F1's return to the Madrid region after it raced at the Jarama circuit in 1981. The Jerez de la Frontera track in southern Spain hosted races from 1986-90, and in 1994 and 1997.

Organizers said Wednesday that Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid is being added as a "local event organizer."

The club's headquarters and training center are both located in Valdebebas, the area where the track was built. Some 200 meters (yards) separate the circuit’s northern entrance from the main gate of the Ciudad Real Madrid.

Organizers said the proximity of the circuit "has led to a unique collaboration that will allow Madring to use certain club facilities during the Grand Prix.”

They said Real Madrid "will experience the event” from one of Madring's "most exclusive hospitality spaces over the weekend, with club legends and prominent figures taking part.”
The club will be present across different hospitality spaces over the race weekend.

"The agreement brings the most decorated football club together with one of the most prestigious, widely followed and influential sporting events on the international stage to be held in Madrid,” organizers said.

Associated Press