F1's Debut In Madrid Was So Dull That Organizers Are Promising Track Changes

The Madring was hyped up as the most ridiculous circuit to join the F1 calendar in recent memory. Critics called the narrow, high-speed street circuit dangerous. It ended up being neither. When Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli took the Spanish Grand Prix victory on Sunday, I was glad that the slog of a race was over. There were only four on-track passes after the opening lap with teams reliant on pit strategy and track position to make any gains.

Race organizers were given a near-blank slate around Madrid's IFEMA, a convention center and permanent trade fair. They went all in on spectacle. The Madring featured several high-speed corners including La Monumental, a 600-yard-long, 13.5-degree banked corner. It worked for qualifying, but flopped for the race. The problem was that drivers can't follow each other through these corners and try to pass at the circuit's few overtaking zones. To make matters worse, the Turn 5 chicane after the track's longest straight was too narrow and too fast is be a realistic passing zone. The venue's executives now know their mistakes and promise to fix them. Luis Garcia Abad, Madring's managing director, told Autosport:

"Being honest with you, the FIA defined clearly which is the way to improve the track layout, and we will be open because we will have to reinstall the track for the next year. I really believe that the drivers enjoyed qualifying a lot. But for sure we will try to make an improvement for next year."

Madring already have changes in mind to improve wheel-to-wheel racing. The approach to the Turn 5 chicane will be tweaked and widened to make it easier for cars to enter the braking zone side-by-side. According to the Race, the current corner design was chosen out of caution, as the chicane slows cars before a tunnel section. Also, Turn 13 after La Monumental and Turn 20 will both be slowed and widened to make passing easier at those points. I won't believe these changes will be effective until they are proven in an actual race.

On the topic of disappointing weekends in Madrid, George Russell finished fifth and has now fallen 81 points behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli. With 25 points for a race win, the British driver needs more than three unanswered victories to close the gap. Only nine races remain on the schedule, including rounds destined to be canceled in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. On the other side of the garage, Antonelli is back on a tear with back-to-back wins at Monza and in Madrid. Only misfortune could really make this a title fight again.