Max Verstappen made no secret of his dislike for street circuits. After two hours of practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring in Madrid, the world champion gave a blunt assessment of the new venue.
The Madring, which combines public roads and a purpose-built section, offers a unique challenge. Drivers compared it to Jeddah and Baku due to its high-speed nature and tight, technical corners. However, for Verstappen, the thrill of driving a permanent track like Spa-Francorchamps remains unmatched.
"I don't know," Verstappen said when asked for his thoughts. "I'm not a fan of street circuits, so that will never change, and I'll always prefer to drive on a track like Spa. But what they have done in the way they have built everything up, I think they've done a really good job. But I'm not a fan of street circuits."
On track, Verstappen was also not dominant. He had to settle for sixth place, 0.401s off the pace set by Mercedes and Ferrari. His stand-in teammate Liam Lawson was tenth. Surprisingly, Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad, who crashed and caused the only red flag in FP2, still managed to finish fourth fastest.
"From our side, it's more or less where we are," Verstappen said. "We just need to work a little bit on the balance, trying to just get a bit more out of it over one lap, and then see how the tyres hold up on the long run. But I mean, I guess everyone is a bit in the same boat."
With a new circuit demanding quick adaptation, Verstappen and Red Bull must find the right setup if they want to fight at the front on race day. Madrid may not be his favourite, but beating rivals at a track he dislikes could be a satisfaction in itself.
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Kimi Antonelli fastest in FP2 at Spanish GP Madring, followed by Leclerc and Hamilton. Arvid Lindblad crashes triggering red flag. Full results here.
Kimi Antonelli tops FP2 at Spanish GP 2026 at Madring, ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton. Arvid Lindblad crashes at Turn 13.
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