San Francisco Frontiers - Drivers give cool reception to new Madring circuit

Most drivers were unenthusiastic about the race, with one suggesting he "almost fell asleep" while world champion Lando Norris questioned how such an unattractive track design could be approved.

The race featured very few true passing moves and made a circuit that was dubbed a "car killer" during the practice sessions into an 'no-overtaking zone' on Sunday.

Racing Bulls’ rookie Arvid Lindblad admitted it "was not the most exciting race" while Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi went further and joked "I almost fell asleep."

Some explained that this was partly due to the robust performance of the tyres which had been expected to degrade rapidly in the hot conditions.

Others were clear that the design was in need of an overhaul and said many parts of the track were too narrow to encourage any overtaking moves.

"I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes 'mint'" said Norris, who finished third behind series leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes and four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

He was deprived of a likely win after leading the opening 15 laps before a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) intervention cost him the lead and dropped him to fifth.

Williams' Carlos Sainz, a native Madrileno who was consulted in the track design, also criticised the outcome.

"It’s like Jeddah and Baku, it's poor on safety, but it seems the FIA is happy to go this way in terms of new circuits," he said.

"We’ve raised concerns because we want to improve safety."

The hybrid circuit built round a convention centre near Barajas airport offers poor visibility including blind brows.

Fellow-Spaniard and two-time champion Fernando Alonso was also less than impressed and said the banked La Monumental corner was sadly over-hyped.

"The driver input is just nothing," he said. "Our media officer, Michael, can drive through it because you just go flat with no deployment."

Williams' George Russell pointed out the circuit’s most glaring weakness was the absence of any clear overtaking opportunities.

"At the end of a long straight, you need a clear opportunity to overtake, but the longest straight here goes into a tight roundabout section."

Norris suggested a big hairpin which "creates much better opportunities for everyone".

Verstappen, who had made clear his dislike of street circuits before the race, said he felt the baking of La Monumental was “cool".

Most spectators expressed enjoyment of the event and the occasion, but said the race had not generated much excitement.

On one general point, they all agreed that future circuits to be designed should include drivers in consultation during the planning and building process.

X.Roberts--SFF