{"id":2025,"date":"2026-09-10T10:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2025"},"modified":"2026-09-10T10:55:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T13:55:00","slug":"gasly-predicts-red-flag-at-spanish-gp-after-testing-madrid-circuit-in-simulator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/gasly-predicts-red-flag-at-spanish-gp-after-testing-madrid-circuit-in-simulator\/","title":{"rendered":"Gasly predicts red flag at Spanish GP after testing Madrid circuit in simulator"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pierre Gasly believes a red flag is almost certain during Formula 1&#8217;s first race at Madrid&#8217;s new Madring circuit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Alpine driver said the simulator gave him a clear idea of the track&#8217;s walls, blind corners, elevation changes and unusual braking zones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gasly compared Madring with Monaco and expects small mistakes to have immediate consequences during the Spanish GP.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pierre Gasly has already experienced Formula 1&#8217;s new Madrid circuit virtually and believes the first Spanish Grand Prix at Madring is likely to feature a red flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Alpine driver said the simulator provided a useful first impression of the 5.47 km, 22-corner layout, but he expects the real challenge to come from the track&#8217;s evolution and the limited margin for error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gasly, who started the Italian GP from pole position at Monza, was unequivocal when asked about the possibility of a red flag during the Madrid race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I&#8217;d bet on a red flag. That&#8217;s for sure,&#8221; Gasly said during Thursday&#8217;s press conference in Madrid, attended by <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said the simulator experience was enjoyable but also showed just how difficult it could be to find the limit around the new circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;In terms of driving, on the simulator, it was quite fun and exciting. I got a good feeling and felt pretty much every wall at every corner. So, actually, I know what to do and what not to do. But it will be a big challenge, especially in terms of how much the track evolves,&#8221; the Alpine driver added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Madring presents unusual challenges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Madring was built around Madrid&#8217;s IFEMA exhibition centre and the Valdebebas area, combining sections around the exhibition complex with public roads. Formula 1 has a contract to hold the Spanish GP in Madrid from 2026 through 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The circuit&#8217;s first indications of how demanding it could be came before the F1 weekend. Ferrari encountered a dusty surface during a filming day at the venue, while the Formula 3 field later recorded 19 red flags during its August 26 test, with 11 of those stoppages caused by crashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gasly expects the track to change significantly as rubber is laid down and grip levels improve throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The track will certainly evolve a lot, and there will be some fairly unusual braking zones that aren&#8217;t completely straight \u2014 twisty corners, with many sections of tight corners. Lots of corners, blind corners, banking, uphill and downhill sections and bumps all around the track,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That&#8217;s why I expect a very complicated and challenging track for us, which is good, because you can always try to make a difference with your driving,&#8221; Gasly added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Frenchman believes the characteristics could make driver confidence especially important during qualifying, when the margins between a competitive lap and an accident will be particularly small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gasly compares Madrid with Monaco<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Formula 1 already has a circuit where even a small mistake can immediately end a driver&#8217;s session or race: Monaco. Gasly believes Madring could create a similar dynamic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a type of track like Monaco, where I think if there&#8217;s a small mistake, the consequences will be serious and immediate. It&#8217;s exciting. At the same time, I think it will be quite a hectic weekend, given how easy it is for a crash to happen,&#8221; Gasly concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Madring&#8217;s combination of tight corners, walls, elevation changes and the banked La Monumental section will provide the entire F1 field with a new challenge. With no previous Grand Prix data at the circuit, Friday&#8217;s practice sessions will be crucial for teams to understand tyre behaviour and establish the competitive order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Spanish GP takes place from September 11-13 and will be the 14th round of the 2026 F1 season. <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will cover Formula 1&#8217;s first race at the new Madrid circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-1024x640.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020311400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-1024x640.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-300x187.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-768x480.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-1536x960.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-2048x1280.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HNHXkcLWcAAnCZ6-150x94.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Charles Leclerc drove Ferrari&#8217;s F1 car at the new Madrid circuit (Photo: Ferrari)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why does Pierre Gasly expect a red flag at the 2026 Spanish GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gasly believes Madring offers very little room for error, with walls close to the racing line, blind corners, elevation changes and several unusual braking zones. The Formula 3 test at the circuit also produced 19 red flags, including 11 caused by crashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Madring like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Madring is a 5.47 km, 22-corner circuit in Madrid, combining sections around the IFEMA exhibition centre and Valdebebas. The layout also features the banked La Monumental section and several changes in elevation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When is the 2026 Spanish GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Spanish Grand Prix takes place from September 11-13 at Madring in Madrid. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 4:00pm local time, while the race starts at 3:00pm on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pierre Gasly described Madring as &#8220;fun and exciting&#8221; in the simulator but expects the new Madrid circuit to produce a chaotic Formula 1 weekend<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020314121,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Gasly compares new Madrid F1 circuit with Monaco","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Gabriel L\u00f3pez\/Grande Pr\u00eamio","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[325,478,336,29],"42wp_author":[13],"class_list":["post-2025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-f1-2026","tag-madring","tag-pierre-gasly","tag-spanish-gp","42wp_author-luana-marino"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2025"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2028,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025\/revisions\/2028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020314121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2025"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}