Jul.14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have given organisers their first detailed feedback after Ferrari became the first Formula 1 team to run at Madrid’s new grand prix circuit.
The pair completed a filming day last week ahead of the Spanish GP’s debut in September, with Madring general manager Luis Garcia Abad revealing several of their observations.
Hamilton’s main complaint centred on one of the circuit’s most dramatic features.
“He complained about compression,” Garcia Abad revealed.
“I told him that the best solution to avoid compression was to go a little slower, that it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Leclerc, meanwhile, focused on the challenge awaiting drivers over a qualifying lap. “He said qualifying is going to be tremendous because you really pass very close to the walls.”
Garcia Abad described the unique characteristics of the 5.4km, 22-corner semi-street circuit, including the 550-metre, 24 percent banked La Monumental corner.
“You enter the Monumental with a 24 percent gradient and you can’t go all out because you run out of direction at the completely blind exit with the Madrid sky in front of you.”
Despite the demanding layout, Garcia Abad said Ferrari’s verdict was positive.
“They liked it,” he said.
“But it’s not because they have to like it or not. The circuit design is approved by the FIA, and from the very beginning it was Formula 1 itself that built each of the 22 curves of the track.”
IFEMA president Jose Vicente de los Mozos also stressed the importance of testing the venue before its Formula 1 debut.
“It’s not mandatory, but we’ve requested to do it,” he said.
He added that organisers hope to avoid problems similar to those seen at Formula 1’s first Las Vegas GP.
“We have to do things right and learn from any mistakes we might make so that the second year is even better.”
