Nico Rosberg has pointed the finger at Carlos Sainz. The 2016 Formula 1 world champion believes Sainz, as an ambassador for the new Madring circuit, must take some responsibility for the lack of overtaking at the Spanish Grand Prix venue.
The Madring, a semi-permanent track around the IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid, made its debut in 2026, replacing the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. But the race, won by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, was immediately criticised for processional racing due to the difficulty of passing. Rosberg did not hold back when speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the event.
“Carlos Sainz was the ambassador, so we need to criticise Carlos Sainz,” Rosberg said. “They need to revisit the track layout for next year and create one good overtaking opportunity. We need that on this track because it's just too hard to overtake.”
The German specifically highlighted McLaren's Oscar Piastri struggling to pass Alpine's Franco Colapinto despite having fresher tyres. “It was pretty shocking. Piastri on Colapinto, for example. Piastri had fresh tyres, he could not get past. And he was so much quicker. It's just super hard to overtake,” he added.
Former Aston Martin strategist and Sky F1 analyst Bernie Collins echoed Rosberg's concerns. “When you get the circuit all designed, you should go to them and ask the questions,” Collins said. “But I don't think it necessarily needed a driver to say that at this stage, did it? We all got here, we all looked at the track and said, ‘That's going to be very difficult for overtaking.’ So I think that there should have been something done to do that. Now they have been very open to say they will make changes going forward. They're happy to make changes going forward. That's not a permanent track. So one of those changes, I would hope, is that they're going to make some differences in overtaking if they can.”
The criticism is a blow to the Madring organisers, who had hoped to deliver a spectacular race in the heart of Madrid. However, they have already committed to making improvements. Meanwhile, Antonelli's victory extends his championship lead, while his rivals were left frustrated by a dull race.
For Carlos Sainz, the spotlight is uncomfortable. As an ambassador, he was expected to bridge the gap between drivers and organisers. But Rosberg's critique shows that responsibility lies not only with track designers but also with those who promote the venue. Will Madring step up? We'll find out in 2027.
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