Everyone Hates the Madring

In early September Formula One returned to Madrid for the first time in forty-five years. The race took place at the all-new street track coined the Madring. It was a highly-anticipated race, and the first new track since Las Vegas was added to the calendar in 2023. There ended up being an attendance of around 353,000 people from Friday to Sunday.¹

However, the addition of the track to the F1 calendar has faced extreme backlash from Madrid locals. There were protests following the announcement of the race, and the site StopF1Madrid was created as a hub for information and action to take in protest against the race.² Formula One is a notoriously loud sport, and the site remarks that the sport generated over 105 decibels of noise, and even required the city to temporarily waive the noise ordinances for the weekend. Additionally, the movement makes note of the environmental impacts of Formula One, citing the ten tons of carbon dioxide released over a race weekend, which is equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide released by a single standard gas car over 25,000 miles.³

Outside of the negative effects of the race weekend itself, the existence of the track requires five months of construction each year in Madrid’s city-center. This includes building the track, grandstands, garages, and team buildings, as well as a month of tear-down after the race has been completed. This construction also adds to noise and air pollution, and makes it extremely difficult for those who live in the area to travel unencumbered. The ten-year contract signed between the FIA and Madrid means that this construction is not anticipated to cease anytime soon.

Not only has the addition of the Madring to the F1 calendar been a burden on the citizens of Madrid, it also produced one of the most boring races to date. It was even more dull than Monaco, which is a feat difficult to achieve.

From the start of the race to the end fifty-seven laps later, only four on-track overtakes were accomplished by the entire twenty-two car grid. In comparison to the rest of the season this number is abysmal. Prior to the race in Madrid, there was an average of sixty-one overtakes per race.⁴ 

Despite the twenty-two turns––including turn twelve, labeled “La Monumental” for its intense banking with a 24% gradient, which the drivers took at speeds between 180–200kph––the track features just two straight mode zones and only a few turns slow enough for the car’s battery to recharge. Even when the drivers were within one second of the car in front needed for overtake mode, it was nearly impossible to actually pass one another because of the lack of boost. It was disappointing for fans and drivers alike, and in a post-race interview, reigning world champion Lando Norris said “I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes ‘mint.’”⁵

There is still hope that with some track changes the Madring will improve over the coming years, but for now it looks as though it’ll be the worst and most protested race on the calendar for the next decade.

Works Cited:

1. Leveridge, Sam. “Madrid’s Formula 1 Return Saw A City Reintroduce Itself To The World.” Forbes, 13 Sept. 2026, www.forbes.com/sites/samleveridge/2026/09/13/madrids-formula-1-return-saw-a-city-reintroduce-itself-to-the-world/.
2. Stop Formula 1 Madrid, www.stopf1madrid.com/.
3. Tso, Kathryn. “How much is a ton of carbon dioxide?” Climate Portal, 21 Dec. 2023, climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-much-ton-carbon-dioxide.
4. Mazumder, Rahaan. “Madrid GP Was Statistically the Most Boring F1 Race of 2026.” MotorBiscuit, 14 Sept. 2026, www.motorbiscuit.com/madrid-gp-was-statistically-the-most-boring-f1-race-of-2026/.
5. Richards, Giles. “Spanish GP plans to change Madring after fierce criticism from F1 drivers.” The Guardian, 14 Sept. 2026, www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/14/lack-of-overtaking-madring-fi-spanish-grand-prix.