Max Verstappen had a rather uninspiring first contact with Madring, the new track for the Spanish Grand Prix in Formula 1. In a Red Bull activity with a simulator, the four-time world champion hit the wall twice but took the situation with good humor.
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“Well, this is going well,” said Verstappen after the first crash. Then he admitted: “I hope the next lap is a little better. I have no idea where it is.”
On the second attempt, the virtual RB22 stopped at the barriers again. “I hope this doesn’t happen in real life! I look like a grandpa. This is terrible. If I had done one more lap, it would have worked. I hit so many barriers, it’s unbelievable!” he joked.
The result, naturally, does not allow assessing Red Bull’s real pace. The first real test will be on Friday, when Verstappen will drive the RB22 at Madring for the first time, in free practice.
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The experience, however, reinforces a warning made by the driver himself. After accumulating many hours in the simulator, Verstappen expects a circuit with little margin for error and sees similarities with Jeddah, especially because of the high-speed corners and the barriers close to the track.
He also pointed out difficulties in the sloped braking zones, which can complicate overtaking. Verstappen compared the situation to the old Sochi circuit, where this was also a problem. Now, Red Bull will have to find out how much grip the real asphalt offers and to what extent the simulator preparation will be representative.
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