News Summary
- Gabriel Bortoleto said he “almost fell asleep” during the Spanish GP and described racing at the Madring as “as monotonous as Monaco”.
- The Audi driver enjoyed the high-speed challenge but said Turn 5 caused headaches and the layout offered virtually no opportunity to attack.
- Speaking in a media session attended by GRANDE PRÊMIO, Bortoleto called for drivers to have more input into future F1 circuit designs.
Gabriel Bortoleto has joined the growing calls for changes to the Madring after Formula 1’s first Spanish GP at the new circuit produced little overtaking. The Audi driver said he “almost fell asleep” during the race and compared the experience to Monaco, despite enjoying the challenge of driving the track over a single lap.
Bortoleto finished 13th after Audi’s strategy was compromised by the timing of the Virtual Safety Car. Having started on hard tyres, he stayed out while several rivals benefited from cheaper stops and then spent the remainder of the afternoon waiting for another intervention that never arrived.
The lack of action became one of the main talking points after the race. When Autosport suggested to Bortoleto that journalists in the media centre had almost fallen asleep, he replied: “I almost fell asleep as well!”
Bortoleto’s criticism was not directed at the entire circuit. Speaking during a post-race media session attended by GRANDE PRÊMIO, the Audi driver said the Madring was enjoyable to drive but needed at least one genuine overtaking opportunity.
“The layout is cool, but if we could add some kind of overtaking point, it would be amazing,” Bortoleto said.
“The track is pretty cool. Just the bump at Turn 5 — to do that for 50 laps, you get quite a lot of headache at the end of the race. So it’s not the easiest one for our body, but it’s still a lot of fun.”
For the Audi driver, however, enjoying a qualifying lap and producing good racing are two very different things.
“It was good in the sense of driving on a track like this. Fast, but as monotonous as Monaco,” he said.
The central problem is the lack of conventional braking zones. Bortoleto argued that the combination of corners makes it extremely difficult for a following driver to attempt an aggressive move.
“You can’t try a divebomb when you’re already on the limit in a normal braking zone,” he explained, adding that an aggressive overtaking attempt requires a driver to be braking in a straight line.
His assessment matched the broader verdict from the F1 grid. Andrea Kimi Antonelli said after winning the race that the Madring “definitely doesn’t create overtaking opportunities”, while Lando Norris, Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman also proposed alterations to specific sections of the circuit.
Antonelli highlighted the second chicane as an area where attempting a move creates an excessive risk of contact, while Albon suggested reworking the Turn 3-5 section and removing the chicane. Norris called for Turns 18 and 19 to be eliminated in favour of a longer straight leading into a wider hairpin.
Bortoleto believes one way of avoiding the same problem with future venues would be to involve the drivers before a circuit design is finalised.
“It would be nice if new track designs were presented to the drivers so we could give our opinion, because we already know that on tracks like this overtaking is going to be very difficult,” he said. “Maybe in the future.”
“I think it would be nice if we had at least one overtaking point, but unfortunately that’s not how they designed it. The track has good and bad points, but for sure the racing aspect is terrible.”
The criticism is particularly notable because the drivers broadly enjoyed the Madring as a qualifying challenge. Bortoleto had already predicted before Sunday’s race that overtaking would be extremely difficult, joking after qualifying that the best place to pass would be “in the pits”.
Those concerns proved justified. Even with Bortoleto struggling on worn tyres late in the race, the layout made it difficult for faster cars behind to complete moves.
The Spanish GP was won by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with Max Verstappen second and Lando Norris third. Bortoleto crossed the line 13th and remains 14th in the Drivers’ Championship with 10 points.
Formula 1 now takes a weekend off before returning for the Azerbaijan GP from September 24-26, round 15 of the 2026 season.
FAQ
What did Gabriel Bortoleto say about the Madring after the Spanish GP?
Bortoleto said he “almost fell asleep” during the race and described the experience as “as monotonous as Monaco”. He nevertheless said the circuit itself was fun to drive and praised its high-speed challenge.
What changes does Bortoleto want at the Madrid F1 circuit?
Bortoleto wants the Madring to have at least one genuine overtaking opportunity. He also believes F1 drivers should be consulted when new circuits are being designed so they can identify potential racing problems before construction is completed.
Where did Gabriel Bortoleto finish the 2026 Spanish GP?
Bortoleto finished 13th for Audi. His strategy was hurt by the timing of the Virtual Safety Car after he started the race on hard tyres.
Tags: Gabriel Bortoleto, Spanish GP, Madring, F1
