Ollie Bearman believes that the Madring ‘deters overtaking’ with its layout, which will leave teams relying on qualifying to make progress through the field.
Madrid’s purpose-built, hybrid circuit offers drivers a taste of every kind of corner, with the most significant banking on the calendar around La Monumental. However, despite being brand new and created for the 2026 generation of F1 cars, the track isn’t as optimised for overtaking as some hoped.
On media day, Bearman chimed in, admitting the weekend is definitely focused on qualifying over race pace.
“I think it’s going to be one of those races where we’re very much focused on qualifying, similar to Budapest, Monaco, and even Zandvoort. It seems like a track where overtaking will be a big challenge.” He told the media, including Motorsport Week.
An ‘oversight’
Bearman later praised corners like La Monumental for how cool they are and said he was excited to drive them. However, he also said it was a shame that some of the best overtaking opportunities have been taken away by the layout choices.
“It’s a shame, in a way, because I think the layout is OK, but there are some features of the circuit which naturally deter overtaking.” He said.
“One of them is the braking for Turn 5, which is curved, and that’s the real overtaking opportunity, and that kind of curved braking takes away any possibility of different lines and sending one up the inside.”
The Briton told the media he believed it could’ve been an ‘oversight’, but it left the team focused on qualifying and getting as high up the grid as possible going into the race.
“That’s a shame and maybe a bit of an oversight, but it means that we’re going to be fully focused on qualifying. To qualify well, of course, you need full confidence, and that starts with your first lap on Friday.”
The high speed and tight walls in certain parts of the track leave drivers with minimal room for error, much like Monaco. It offers a track where bravery is rewarded, and mistakes are keenly punished.
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