Martin Brundle reviews Madrid Grand Prix debut and calls for layout changes and VSC rule tweaks
Former driver Martin Brundle said the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix showed promise but suffered from overtaking difficulties and a controversial virtual safety car decision that affected the race outcome.
Martin Brundle highlighted that the first Madrid Grand Prix offered interesting features such as a long, banked Turn 12 and high-speed sections, but the circuit still felt like a work in progress. He noted that construction delays and adverse weather, combined with the temporary nature of the track next to the international airport, created logistical challenges, especially in the expansive pit lane and paddock.
Brundle said the layout limited overtaking opportunities, making pit strategy crucial. Under green-flag conditions a pit stop cost about 25 seconds, while a virtual or full safety car reduced the loss to roughly 12 seconds, a factor that ultimately influenced the race winner.
He recapped the opening scramble, where pole-sitter Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli started on medium tyres, Max Verstappen on softs and others on hards. A first-lap incident involving Antonelli and a subsequent penalty for Verstappen after the stewards deemed he gained an advantage contributed to the shifting order.
During a virtual safety car triggered by Lance Stroll’s retirement, Norris missed the pit entry and later served a seven-second stop, while Mercedes fitted Antonelli, allowing the Italian to inherit the lead. Verstappen finished second and Norris third, with Charles Leclerc and George Russell completing the top five.
"It felt like a robbery on Sunday," said Verstappen after the race, reflecting the drivers' frustration with the VSC timing.
Brundle said both Antonelli and Verstappen publicly praised Norris, suggesting the result might have been different without the VSC timing. He suggested that future VSC deployments remain in effect for a full lap to ensure fairness, though acknowledging the trade-off with reduced green-flag racing.
Looking ahead, Brundle expects the Madrid circuit to undergo layout revisions to improve overtaking, a more compact paddock setup and clearer signage before the 2027 season.