Pierre Gasly has jokingly claimed the inaugural Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid will see a Red Flag on Sunday afternoon.
F1 is preparing for its maiden race at the Madring, a new city circuit in the heart of the Spanish capital Madrid, the third venue in Spain this century.
The circuit features over 20 corners, including the steeply banked La Monumental, which looks set to test driver skill all weekend.
But given the Formula 3 test that resulted in multiple crashes, speculation is growing over a disturbed race in Madrid on Sunday.
Gasly even joked that a Red Flag deployment during the race is almost a certainty, while praising the circuit’s characteristics.
“I’ll put my money on the red flag, that’s for sure”, Gasly said to media, including Motorsport Week on Thursday in Madrid.
“Driving-wise, I must say in the sim, it was very enjoyable and very exciting.
“I got a good read and feel of pretty much every single wall at every single corner. So actually I know what to do and what not to do.”
Pierre Gasly ready for “challenging” Madring
Gasly said that track evolution could test the drivers extensively, believing that disruption will be a characteristic rather than a potential outcome.
“But I think it’s going to be very challenging, especially in terms of evolution.
“Probably a lot of track evolution. Kind of slightly awkward braking zones which are not fully straight; kind of like snaky, very twisty type of corners. Many corners, a lot of blinds, banking, up and down, undulation all the way. So I think I expect a very tricky track.
“Challenging for us, which makes it good because you can always aim to do a bit more difference driving-wise. But again, it’s a type of track a bit like Monaco where I think if you do a slight mistake, you can have big consequences straight away.
“So it’s about at least getting to be aware of every single braking zone and sort of speed that you carry through the corners. I must say it’s exciting. At the same time, I think it’s going to be quite a disruptive weekend.”
Unknowns are a certainty when any new track is preparing for its debut. But given the speculation already rising over the Madring, all eyes will be on how the drivers tackle F1’s latest addition to the calendar.
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