McLaren: Ferrari Could Profit in Madrid After Filming Day

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has suggested Ferrari could hold a slight edge at the new Madrid circuit after the Italian squad completed a filming day at the Madring. The surprise move caught rivals off guard, including McLaren.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton shared duties in the SF-26, completing the full 200 km allowed under regulations. Filming days are strictly promotional, restricted to Pirelli demonstration tyres and with no test equipment permitted. Yet teams inevitably gather some baseline data from the running.

The new circuit, built around the IFEMA exhibition centre, will host its inaugural Spanish Grand Prix on 13 September. The roughly 5.4 km layout with around 20 corners will be F1's first race in the Spanish capital since Jarama in 1981.

Baca Juga100 Balapan Albon: Williams Ingin Tebus Kegagalan 2026

"We were not informed that Ferrari had this session in Madrid. Actually, I think some images of filming were shared with the other teams," Stella told media including RacingNews365, as reported by Sportrik. "The tyres are not really representative, and the track conditions will have been horribly slippery because it's just a construction site."

Despite those conditions, Stella conceded that Ferrari's early visit could provide a marginal edge when the entire grid arrives in September. "There's always a little bit that you can learn. You have some references, especially with this year's power unit, so you don't start from data that you have to completely assume because nobody has been there," he explained.

"So possibly a little bit of an advantage. It arrived to us as a surprise, but nothing that goes against the regulations. We are thankful that at least we could see the track from the onboard. After a few laps in Madrid, we will have forgotten about that, and we will just get along with focusing on the race weekend," the Italian added.