Alex Albon has issued a stark warning about the Madring circuit ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Williams driver believes the track's high-speed corners could wreak havoc on teams' hybrid deployment calibrations. With many corners taken at 90 to 100 percent throttle, Albon sees a significant challenge for midfield and backmarker teams.
Deployment Threat in Fast Corners
Speaking on media day, Albon explained that while top teams might take certain corners flat out, others will have to lift, which drastically alters energy deployment. "Without going too technical, if you can do a corner flat or not, it massively changes the way the deployment works," he said.
The danger, according to Albon, is that cars may only find certain corners flat once fuel loads drop and tyres are fresh in qualifying—after most calibration work is done. "You don’t want to go in qualifying, suddenly these corners start to become flat, and your deployment starts to move around a lot," he added. "That’s what we’ve found in the simulator so far."
Calibration Strategy and Albon's Hopes
The Thai driver emphasised the need to set some corners as straights if they become flat. "If they go from corners to straights, then that can confuse the pods," he explained. He hopes top teams will already be flat by FP1, FP2, and FP3, so by qualifying, the necessary calibrations are clear. "So there will be an element of that for sure," he said.
Track Surface and Marble Concerns
Albon also addressed the low-grip surface, which organisers have treated with high-pressure water jets to clear dust and residue from the recently laid asphalt. "I worry about the marbles in the race," he admitted. "From what I’ve heard, it’s very low grip at this point in the weekend. They resurfaced the track quite late, which is May."
He explained that this will lead to a single racing line as rubber is laid down in one place. "If you stay away from that line, then there’s no grip," he said. Albon doubts multiple lines will be possible due to the track's narrowness. "Drivers aren’t as willing to stick it up to the top of the banking and take the risk of running a high line. I hope I’m proven wrong, but I don’t think I’m wrong," he stated.
La Monumental Banking
Turn 12, known as La Monumental, features a 550-metre banked corner. Albon even measured the camber himself using his phone. Unfortunately, the interview was cut off before he could share the results. Nevertheless, his attention to detail underscores the challenges of the new circuit.
With these obstacles, the Spanish Grand Prix at Madring will be a test of not only speed but also hybrid energy management. Can teams adapt quickly? We'll find out on race day.
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