ONLY FOUR OVERTAKES: IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PASS AT THE MADRING?
The first Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring in Madrid will be remembered more for what did not happen than for what did. According to data from F1 Race Review, only four overtakes were completed during Sunday’s race, not counting the first lap. That is the lowest total of the 14 Grands Prix held so far in 2026, and it is even lower than Monaco, which produced ten overtakes this year.
The contrast with the rest of the season is huge. Before Madrid, the 2026 average was 61 overtakes per race, with China on top at 101, followed by Miami with 88 and Japan with 85. Just one week earlier, Monza had seen 78. Looking back at recent seasons, four overtakes is the same number recorded at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most criticised races of the last few years.
The race itself showed the problem clearly. Kimi Antonelli took his eighth win of the season after pole-sitter Lando Norris lost his chance when a Virtual Safety Car and a McLaren pit-stop mistake worked against him.
After that, Norris could not find a way past Max Verstappen, despite having a fast car. Antonelli also spent the middle part of the race stuck behind Charles Leclerc, even with better pace and fresher tyres, and chose to wait rather than risk a move.
The Madring is a 5.4-kilometre semi-street circuit with 22 corners, built around the IFEMA exhibition centre and famous for its banked La Monumental section. Drivers enjoyed driving it, but on race day they found long trains of cars, blind corners, tyres overheating and very few real braking zones to attack.
George Russell said every track needs a proper overtaking chance after a straight, adding that his head was sore after the race because of the kerbs. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto joked that he “almost fell asleep”. Before the weekend, Verstappen had already warned about the layout, joking that almost all the braking zones needed fixing.
The criticism also came from outside the paddock. Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, called the Grand Prix a complete disaster because of a design that makes overtaking impossible, and compared it to a faster version of Monaco.
Changes are now being discussed. Carlos Sainz, one of the event’s ambassadors, said the drivers, the FIA and the circuit will look together at Turns 1, 5 and 13. However, Russell warned that the options are limited, because the track is tight and surrounded by bridges and other structures.
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