Ferrari to run first F1 car on Madrid's new Madring circuit

The Ferrari Formula 1 team is scheduled to become the first to run a current car on the new Madring circuit in Madrid this Thursday, July 9, in a planned filming day with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The session will mark the first time a modern Formula 1 car has circulated the 5.416-kilometre layout, which is set to host the Spanish Grand Prix from September 11-13, taking over the historic event name from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

While Ferrari has not officially confirmed the program, multiple reports indicate both drivers will share duties in the SF26 car for up to 200 kilometres of running, as permitted under Formula 1's promotional event regulations. The team previously used one of its two allotted annual filming days at Monza earlier this year. The Madrid running is understood to have been organized in part by the race promoter to check operational progress at the venue, which combines public roads with purpose-built sections near the IFEMA exhibition centre.

The filming day offers Ferrari a valuable, though limited, opportunity to gather initial data on the new circuit's characteristics, including its asphalt surface, bumps, and kerb profiles....