Nico Hülkenberg (Audi): Madring – intense, fast, flowing, demanding

On Thursday morning, around 80 journalists were driven round the circuit in a convoy of the sort used for drivers’ parades.

Our impression of the track: Tight like Monaco, fast and with plenty of blind corners like Jeddah, technically demanding, and as difficult for overtaking as Singapore – apart from two sections – the drivers will have their hands full, especially as they’ll also have to manage the tricky energy management in this concrete channel.

I predict: there’ll be crashes – and proper ones at that – especially amongst the hotheads in Formula 3 and Formula 2, but also in the premier class. It’s inevitable.

Nico Hülkenberg takes to the Madring circuit with the combined experience of 262 Grands Prix; nothing can rattle the 39-year-old German easily, and experience will be worth its weight in gold at this debut race here in Madrid.

How much does ‘Hülki’ already know about this circuit, and what sort of racing does the seasoned GP driver expect here? The 2018 World Championship seventh-place finisher answered this question from SPEEDWEEK.com in the Madring paddock: “I’m not due to do my track walk until this evening, and it’s not entirely clear to me yet how the action will unfold here. At Monza, for example, I expected a rather static race, but then the fans witnessed a great many overtaking manoeuvres – it was an interesting Grand Prix.”

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Madrid: Das Rennen Re-Live

FIA Formula One World Championship

13.09.2026 - 17:30

“So far, I’ve only experienced the Madring through simulation, so I can say this – it’s fast, intense, fluid, a long lap, lots of corners, and definitely one of those tracks that’s more challenging than average. A lot will depend on the grip that builds up here, and that’s precisely a factor that’s difficult to capture in the simulation.”

The rather narrow pit lane exit doesn’t worry Hülkenberg. Nico jokes: “We’ve got a few exits like this; as long as a racing car fits through, everything’s fine. The steep wall section of this corner, known as ‘Monumental’, looks spectacular and incredibly fast – it’s certainly an imposing bend that suits a track that forgives few mistakes.”

“We’ve got lots of blind corners here, a bit like Jeddah, so the Madriing is one of those circuits where you have to build up your confidence step by step over the course of a GP weekend.”

Critics warn: this could be a crash fest, with plenty of red flags, on a potentially dangerous circuit.

Nico puts it into perspective: “Without having driven on it, I wouldn’t call it a dangerous circuit. It’s true that you can’t afford to make many mistakes, because in most places the walls are very close by and there aren’t many run-off areas. But even if someone does hit the wall, I have faith in the marshals and our Formula 1 yellow flag system. It’s now so sophisticated that we’re warned several bends before the danger spot, so that doesn’t worry me.”

How accurate is the simulation, actually, when you’re tackling a new circuit? ‘You can’t simulate subtleties like the grip levels we’ve mentioned exactly. On top of that, a new circuit usually develops rapidly in terms of grip over the course of the Grand Prix weekend. But the simulation doesn’t just convey the layout of the corners; it also gives you a feel for the rhythm. That’s certainly helpful.”