Antonelli Wins Spanish GP as Madring Draws Driver Criticism — SkimNews
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- Kimi Antonelli won the first Spanish Grand Prix held at Madrid's new Madring circuit, with Max Verstappen second and Lando Norris third, stretching Antonelli's drivers' standings lead.
- Drivers labeled the Madring one of the worst tracks on the F1 calendar for overtaking, citing the absence of a long straight leading into a heavy braking zone and corners that force simultaneous braking and turning.
- Lando Norris lost the lead after passing the pit entry moments before a virtual safety car was deployed, leaving him uniquely unable to pit under the reduced-speed period - a circumstance described as potentially without precedent.
- Norris proposed removing turns 18 and 19 to open a wider hairpin entry akin to Austin's Turn One, and also called for redesigning the 'clumsy chicane' at Turn Five.
- The Madring's pit lane is the longest on the F1 calendar, incentivizing one-stop strategies and reducing the likelihood of safety-car-induced drama, drivers said.
- McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said he is 'puzzled' about whether VSC rules should require a minimum one-lap duration to ensure equal conditions for all drivers, though momentum for an immediate rule change 'does not appear to be there.'
Why it matters: Norris's unique misfortune under the VSC - a known vulnerability drivers say has been raised 'many, many times' - exposes a rules gap that will now flow to F1's sporting advisory committee, while Madrid's circuit faces an immediate credibility test: drivers openly questioned whether the Madring can be redesigned to produce overtaking before next year's race returns.
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