Formula 1 returns to Madrid for the first time since 1981, presenting the teams with a fresh challenge at the Madring, a brand-new street circuit where there is no previous race data to draw upon. With every lap an opportunity to learn, the opening practice sessions will be especially important as all drivers and engineers build their understanding of the track.
Preparation has centered on simulator work, allowing the team to establish an initial direction for car set-up and familiarise the drivers with the layout. However, the true demands of the circuit - including grip levels, tyre behaviour, energy deployment, overtaking opportunities and how the track evolves during the weekend - will only become clear once the cars run in real conditions.
That places an emphasis on adaptability and efficient learning throughout the weekend. The team will look to correlate its simulator findings quickly, work through its programme cleanly and respond to the information gathered on track as the competitive picture develops. This weekend will also see the team introduce some slight aerodynamic updates to the MCL40, while the H-Wing that debuted in Monza won't be used on this circuit.
With the leading teams closely matched over the past few months of racing, the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team arrives in Madrid determined to be in the fight for the top three positions. The ambition is to maximise every session, execute strongly across the weekend and give both Lando and Oscar the best possible confidence in their cars on a circuit where the ability of the drivers to find the limit will make a huge difference in the final result.
Mark Temple - Technical Director, Performance: "Heading into a completely new circuit in Madrid brings both immense opportunity and risk. We have solid simulation data regarding the track layout, energy deployment, and aerodynamic demands, but the biggest variable remains tyre behaviour on this new asphalt. Understanding track grip and surface conditions during Friday practice will be vital for shaping the rest of our weekend.
"The track itself is tight, demanding exceptional braking stability, especially while cornering, as well as precise kerb-riding through the low-speed sections, alongside a few crucial high-speed turns. While our ongoing aerodynamic and mechanical refinements for the MCL40 continue to move us forward step-by-step, the margins between the top teams are still close. New venues reward the teams that adapt fastest; our objective is to build confidence and performance progressively through every session and deliver maximum result when it counts on Sunday."
McLaren Racing Heritage - Spanish Grand Prix
9 wins, 10 Poles, 30 podiums, 9 Fastest Laps
• Most recent win: 2025, Oscar Piastri in the MCL39
• Special race: 1981, John Watson in the MP4/1
• Standout race in Spain: 1997 European Grand Prix, Mika Häkkinen's maiden F1 win in the MP4/12
Visiting Spain for a second time this year is something of a novelty for F1, but by no means a one-off. We had five years of the European Grand Prix in Valencia between 2008-2012 but, before that, a race that had a rather more sizeable impact on McLaren.
The 1997 season should have ended in Portugal, at the Estoril circuit, but track changes requested by the FIA were not made, and so the season finale relocated 350km east to Andalucia, and the Circuito de Jerez, the race taking place under the convenience title of the European Grand Prix. "It was certainly strange to have the end of season race back in Europe with the season normally finishing as a flyaway race. It was great that everyone at home could watch on a normal time zone as the action unfolded," says Mark Ingham, who was the Design Team Leader for the Engine Systems Group at the time.
Williams had secured the Constructors' title at the previous round, but the Drivers' Championship was still live: Ferrari's Michael Schumacher a point ahead of Williams' Jacques Villeneuve. The race was box-office, with Schumacher leading at the halfway point, but Villeneuve chasing him down. Villeneuve made his move at the Dry Sac corner. Schumacher couldn't afford to lose the race to Villeneuve, but if both drivers were out, he'd become a three-time World Champion. He slammed the door shut, the cars collided. Schumacher was out - and disqualified from the entire season for his action - but Villeneuve kept going.
Villeneuve slowed his pace and concentrated on bringing the car home. Behind him, Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard in the McLarens are closing in rapidly. "The race was quite unbelievable. We knew we had been improving the car that season with David able to get a couple of race wins earlier in the year," says Mark.
The MP4/12s caught and passed Villeneuve on the final lap, with the Canadian driver getting well out of the way, and Mika Häkkinen was a grand prix winner at last. It could have gone the other way. DC was ahead of Mika for much of the race... but the Scotsman already had a couple of victories in 1997, and Mika hadn't had much luck.
"This was a proper fairytale ending for Mika to win the final race, and for the team to score a 1-2 finish. Everyone was absolutely over-joyed," recalls Mark. "It was the first 1-2 finish in six years, so it was a massive confidence boost for the team, but also for Mika. We all went into the winter to work on our 1998 car with renewed belief."
"Winning gives you such amazing confidence," recalls Mika. "People stop asking when you're going to win because it's done. You can focus on the next challenge, which was winning more, and winning World Championships.
"Jerez was the last grand prix of the year, so I got to be a winner for the whole winter. I got a lot of confidence from that, and when we started for 1998, I knew straight away. I knew how good the car was, and I knew I had the experience I needed to win. Everything just slotted into the right place."
Madring
Race laps: 57
Circuit length: 5.416 km/3.365 miles
Total race distance: 308.524 km/191.708 miles
Number of corners: 22 (13 right, 9 left)
Pitloss: +19s
Safety Car L1 pitloss: +12s
Energy management required: Low
Allocated tyre compounds: Hard: C2, Medium: C3 & Soft: C4
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