Gunther Steiner evaluated the presence of the Spanish GP on the Formula 1 calendar and acknowledged that if changes are not made for 2027, it will be a big failure.
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Madrid debuted on the calendar amid numerous criticisms. Drivers made a point of showing how much they disliked the layout, asking for changes for the future and for new overtaking opportunities to be created – in 2026, there were only four.
Speaking about the Spanish race, the former Haas F1 boss compared it to the Las Vegas debut and also sees the need for changes. “In Las Vegas, in the first year, people said: ‘Oh, why go to Las Vegas? It’s the stupidest thing to do’,” he said on The Red Flag podcast.
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“It became something very good; some things worked immediately, while others needed adjustments. If the Madrid situation is not resolved next year, I would see that as a failure, because it is a 10-year contract; it needs to be fixed. There cannot be a second year like this,” he continued.
“Remember Las Vegas in the first year, with the manhole covers coming loose; we thought: ‘This is a disaster, they don’t know what they’re doing.’ So, there was negativity at that time. Now, Las Vegas has already become an almost iconic race. It seems like it has been there for a long time because it is very cool,” he added.
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