Spanish GP: New Madrid F1 circuit to undergo changes after ‘boring’ debut
Madrid’s brand-new Formula 1 circuit is already set for a makeover after its debut race left drivers and fans underwhelmed.
The Spanish Grand Prix moved from Barcelona to the new Madring - a temporary layout mixing existing roads and permanent sections at the Ifema exhibition centre near the city’s airport.
The opening event delivered a processional race with almost no overtaking, despite drivers praising the track’s challenge over a single lap.
2026 F1 Spanish GP: Ferrari under pressure after Lewis Hamilton’s Madring brake failure
Lewis Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix ended after just six laps when a brake problem forced Ferrari to retire his car, with the team now investigating what caused the failure.
Sports News Blitz writer Noah Ngcobo looks at what went wrong for Hamilton, Ferrari’s response and the questions the incident raises for the team.
F1 news: Ferrari’s Monza mess casts long shadow over Madrid GP weekend
Formula 1 arrives in Madrid this weekend (September 11-13) for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit, but the focus remains firmly on the lingering fallout from Ferrari’s disastrous Italian Grand Prix.
At Monza last Sunday (September 6), Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc collided on the opening lap.
The pair ran side-by-side through the first chicane when Leclerc’s defence at the exit of Turn 2 forced Hamilton onto the gravel, dropping the Briton from fourth to tenth.
Leclerc then crashed heavily at the Parabolica on Lap 2 and retired. Hamilton recovered to a frustrated sixth as Mercedes locked out the top two places with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Hamilton later called it “far too late” for Ferrari to give him priority over Leclerc in the championship fight, having slipped further behind title leader Antonelli.
F1 news: George Russell faces reality check as Kimi Antonelli takes control at Mercedes
As Formula 1 heads to Madrid this weekend (September 11-13) for the first Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring, the Mercedes garage is still dealing with the aftermath of Monza.
Kimi Antonelli’s charge from 19th to victory at the Italian Grand Prix, overtaking team-mate George Russell in the closing stages, has left the Briton 66 points behind in the championship.
Russell started second and looked set for a strong result, but the young Italian’s pace and strategy call sealed another statement win for the title leader.
It was the clearest sign yet that this season belongs to Antonelli.
Barcelona to remain on F1 calendar until 2032 in rotation with Belgian Grand Prix
Formula 1 has confirmed that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will remain on the F1 calendar until at least 2032, under a new agreement that sees the race alternate with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
2025 Spanish GP talking points: McLaren and Oscar Piastri dominant, Lewis Hamilton’s worst race yet, ‘Mad Max’ Verstappen suffers huge title blow, and more
For the last time on Sunday, June 1, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the Spanish Grand Prix to round off the second triple-header of the 2025 F1 season.
And with new technical directives, surprise points-scorers, and a season-defining incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell, yet another chaotic race has left F1 fans with so much to discuss.
Sports News Blitz’s F1 writer Henry Eccles analyses five key talking points to come out of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.
Chaos in Catalunya: Max Verstappen's meltdown sparks outrage at Spanish GP
In a race that started with quiet and ended in chaos, Max Verstappen's antics at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix have once again thrust him into the spotlight - not for his driving prowess, but for behaviour that many in the paddock are calling reckless and unsportsmanlike.
F1 news: Ferrari eyes Spanish GP revival amid technical shifts and Lewis Hamilton’s winning history
Ferrari head into the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with cautious optimism, as Team Principal Fred Vasseur downplays talk of a rift between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami.
The team, buoyed by Charles Leclerc’s strong performance in Monaco, is also preparing for a potentially season-defining technical change that could shake up the competitive order.
In this article, Sports News Blitz’s Noah Ngcobo breaks down the state of play at Ferrari ahead of Barcelona - from internal dynamics and recent performance gains to the looming impact of new front wing regulations and Hamilton’s formidable history at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.