Pirelli has revealed its tire choice for the debut of the Madrid circuit on the Formula 1 calendar and indicated that the new track should impose loads on the tires similar to those recorded at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. Therefore, the supplier opted for the intermediate range of compounds for the Spanish round.
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The race in Madrid will be the 14th of the 2026 season and will mark the category’s first visit to Madring. The layout combines permanent circuit sections with public roads and features 22 corners, bringing together sequences of low, medium, and high speed, as well as long straights to favor overtaking.
One of the highlights of the circuit is the banked corner “La Monumental,” a long 550-meter right-hand section with a 24% incline, pointed out as one of the most challenging points on the calendar. The circuit also features elevation changes that promise to increase the demands on cars and drivers.
According to Pirelli’s analysis, tire behavior at Madring should be similar to that observed on high downforce tracks like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. Given this scenario, the company chose the C2, C3, and C4 compounds for the Spanish GP.
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“Our analysis of Madring indicates that the loads applied to the tires are comparable to those observed at circuits like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. The choice of the intermediate range aims, based on the track characteristics, to favor a two-stop strategy and offer greater protection against the risk of excessive overheating in case of high temperatures, a situation to which the softer compound would be more susceptible,” explained the manufacturer.
So far, only Ferrari has taken a car to the new circuit. Earlier this month, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc used one of the team’s filming days to complete laps at Madring before the track’s official debut on the calendar.
After the activity, Leclerc highlighted the “La Monumental” corner as one of the most striking points of the layout. “It is a very special corner. In qualifying, we will have to be very brave because it will be a section driven at the limit,” he said. The Monegasque also believes the location has the potential to become one of the most iconic corners of the season, especially when the grandstand planned for the section is completed.
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