Guenther Steiner is not one to mince words. The former Haas team principal has issued a stark warning to the organisers of the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit in Madrid, insisting that the track layout must be changed for 2027.
The inaugural 2026 race in Madrid, won by Kimi Antonelli, was heavily criticised for being a processional affair with virtually no on-track overtaking. The Mercedes driver inherited the lead through a well-timed virtual safety car rather than a daring pass, leaving Max Verstappen and polesitter Lando Norris unable to mount a challenge.
Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner acknowledged the wave of negativity but urged patience. "It was exactly the same in Vegas, the first year. 'Oh, why would you go to Las Vegas? That's the most stupid thing to do.' It has become a very good thing, and some things work straight away, and some things need some fine-tuning," he explained.
However, the Italian did not hold back on the need for urgent action. "If next year Madrid is not sorted out, I would see it as a failure because it's a 10-year contract. It needs to be fixed. There cannot be a second year like this."
Steiner drew parallels with Las Vegas' troubled debut, where drainage covers coming up caused chaos and a 6am practice session. "You remember Vegas the first year with the drainage covers coming up. We were there at 6am, 'This is a disaster, they don't know what they're doing.' So there was negativity there, but now Vegas has become almost an iconic race already."
On the track, Antonelli's win extended his championship lead to 81 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton a further 101 points adrift in third. The F1 circus now moves to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 24-26 September at the Baku City Circuit.
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