Ferrari arrives in Madrid for the next Formula 1 GP in a completely different scenario from that found in Monza. The 22-turn layout of Madrid favors cornering performance, precisely one of the main characteristics of the SF-26, and may offer the team an opportunity to react after a difficult weekend in Italy.
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Lewis Hamilton finished the Italian GP only in sixth position, while Charles Leclerc retired from the race on the second lap, after the accident at Parabolica. With the result, Hamilton is 76 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the championship lead, with ten rounds remaining in the season.
The Madrid circuit is 5.416 km long and combines tight corners, typical of street circuits, in the exhibition halls area, with high-speed sections in Valdebebas. The highlight is La Monumental, a 550-meter banked corner with a 24% incline, which will be the longest banked corner in Formula 1 history and has no equivalent in the current calendar.
While the long straights of Monza highlighted Ferrari’s power deficiency, Madrid’s winding layout tends to favor the SF-26’s strong point. Throughout 2026, the car showed particularly strong performance in medium and high-speed corners, a characteristic also recognized by Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull.
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Ferrari will also have an advantage that no rival can match: prior knowledge of the circuit. On July 9, Hamilton and Leclerc completed the 200 kilometers allowed in a filming day with the SF-26, providing the team with data on braking points, curbs, and track characteristics even before the first TL1.
For Fred Vasseur, the Spanish round also represents an opportunity to recover the atmosphere within the team. “We all feel we failed at something, but I am sure we will come back much stronger next week,” said the Ferrari boss after Monza.
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