‘Car Killer’: Why Formula 1’s New Track In Spain Might Lead To Many Crashes

Last Updated:September 11, 2026, 4:40 PM IST

Formula One heads to Madrid’s “MADRING Sur” circuit, dubbed the “car killer” after 19 red flags in an F3 test. Drivers anticipate a challenging, high-risk race with close walls.

General view of the site of the new Madring Formula One circuit in Madrid, on September 2, 2026.
The Madrid Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place on a semi-urban circuit from 11 to 13 September 2026. (AFP)

This weekend, the Formula One caravan will be in the Spanish capital of Madrid. The circuit that’ll host its first-ever F1 Grand Prix is called the ‘MADRING Sur’. That’s its official name—unofficially, it’s increasingly being labeled the ‘car killer’.

It’s an old-school circuit, which is said to have a lot of ‘character’, which translates to a lot of sharp corners and an interesting variety of challenges for the drivers. But that also means a lot of crashes.

F1, just to test out the circuit, arranged a session for the Formula Three teams here, and it saw as many as 19 red flags, a record for one session. There were multiple crashes, spread across half of the circuit, and most of the teams left the circuit with a long bill of repairs and spare parts.

“In the Formula 3 test there were 19 red flags and three broken chassis, broken suspensions…OK, they’re Formula 3 drivers, but it’s a track that kills cars,” Williams team principal James Vowles told Sport.

The track starts with a slow-speed chicane followed by a flat-out stretch to turn 4, before a dangerous, sharp, high-speed chicane. Then, there’s a short underpass and an uphill stretch. At turns 10 and 11, there’s a quick right/left in quick succession.

That gets the driver into a 24% banked corner, a curved track, tilted upward on the outside edge. Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra labelled it ‘the most severe turn’ in the championship, which doesn’t allow a lot of tyre grip for drivers.

“I heard about the 19 red flags in F3 and I was a bit surprised,” Mercedes driver George Russell said. “And then, after I drove it on the sim, I was surprised there were only 19 red flags. So, it’s a crazy circuit. “I would put it, arguably, as the most risky circuit of the whole calendar, because you have real high-speed corners, sort of Jeddah-esque. The walls are very close. There’s no margin for error… I think it’s going to be really challenging for us as drivers. The race is going to be challenging to overtake. So, on the whole, it’s not an easy one.”

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Why is the MADRING Sur circuit in Madrid being called a car killer?

The MADRING Sur circuit is being called a “car killer” due to its old-school design featuring sharp corners, close walls, and a lack of margin for error. During a Formula Three test session arranged to test the track, there were 19 red flags, three broken chassis, and broken suspensions, leaving teams with extensive repair bills.

What makes the banked corner at the MADRING Sur circuit so challenging?

The circuit features a 24% banked corner at turns 10 and 11, which is a curved track tilted upward on the outside edge. Pirelli’s chief engineer, Simone Berra, has labeled this section as the most severe turn in the championship because it does not allow drivers a lot of tyre grip.

How did George Russell react to the MADRING Sur circuit after driving it?

Mercedes driver George Russell expressed surprise that there were only 19 red flags in the F3 test after he experienced the track on a simulator. He described it as arguably the most risky circuit on the entire calendar, comparing its high-speed corners to Jeddah and noting that overtaking will be highly challenging.

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