Max Verstappen P2 at the Madring: “To claim that is just a load of rubbish”

Most drivers agree: the new Madring Formula 1 circuit is technically demanding and fun to drive, but it doesn’t lend itself to good racing.

Verstappen, who finished second behind Kimi Antonelli in the Madrid World Championship race, has given some thought to how this might be changed.

The 72-time Grand Prix winner says: “I was pleasantly surprised by what a good job the organisers have done here with the track surface. We had solid grip right from the first practice session. Even if the track is a bit too bumpy in places.”

“But with these corners in this sequence, it’s very difficult to overtake an opponent. One fundamental mistake, for example, is the braking zones where we’re already turning in. The drivers have their hands full just dealing with that, which leads to wheels locking up but doesn’t make for good racing.”

“So as far as the track design is concerned, it could perhaps have been done better. I also think a little more input from us riders could have helped quite a bit there. I know that many organisers would now point the finger and say – yes, but we only have limited space. But I say: claiming that is simply rubbish. In virtually every track layout, there’s a way to create better overtaking opportunities.»

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“Let’s not get the wrong end of the stick here: the whole Madrid event is really cool. A good job has been done here. The teams also received good information early on to feed into their simulators. But if we want to put on a more exciting show at the Madrid circuit, then we need to make some changes here. There’s a whole series of corners where this could be improved.”