Ferrari has already taken the SF-26 out on the new Madrid circuit: Alonso responds with a dig, whilst Hamilton and Leclerc put the advantage into perspective
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso used the FIA press conference ahead of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid (follow all sessions here in the Formula 1 live ticker!) to take a verbal dig at Ferrari.
When asked how he had prepared for the new Madrid circuit, Alonso said: “I’ve been driving in the simulator, but perhaps that’s more of a question for the Ferrari drivers.”
Ferrari is, in fact, the only team with on-site experience in Madrid: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc already completed a film day on the Spanish circuit back in July, driving the current Ferrari SF-26.
On such a filming day, teams are allowed to cover a maximum of 200 kilometres on special Pirelli demonstration tyres. But on a new circuit, every lap could be crucial.
Why the Ferrari drivers don’t believe they have an advantage
So does Ferrari have an advantage thanks to the demonstration laps on the Madrid circuit? “Hardly,” said Hamilton. On the Ferrari filming day, the track had been “extremely dusty” and there had been “absolutely no grip”. “In many corners, we didn’t even go full throttle. We couldn’t make any changes to the car either, because it wasn’t a test, but a film shoot.”
The filming day kicks off with the first lap from @Charles_Leclerc 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/nHPks2mAOY
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) 9 July 2026
“The only advantage is that I now know which way the track runs. But to be honest: I don’t think that gives me any advantage at all.”
Leclerc also didn’t want to read too much into the Ferrari film day in Madrid. He’d only driven “a few laps” – “some of them behind a road car and, I think, two laps in a Formula 1 car. But there were cameras set up everywhere and there was a lot of dust on the track,” said Leclerc.
How the organisers view the Ferrari demonstration
According to those in charge in Madrid, the Ferrari laps were nevertheless of practical use. A press release stated that the demonstration laps were an “opportunity to test the logistics and coordination required for a Formula 1 event, with Ferrari operating under conditions very similar to those of a Grand Prix weekend”.
It continued: “Ferrari deployed staff and equipment on a scale equivalent to that of a race weekend. This enabled the organisers to review key operational procedures along the entire circuit.”