F1's Newest Circuit Has a LOT to Prove... | Spanish GP Preview

Formula 1 is heading somewhere completely new...The Spanish Grand Prix is leaving Barcelona behind and heading to the brand-new Madring circuit just outside Madrid — and judging by our first impressions, it could be one of the strangest F1 weekends in years.In this week's Everything Trackside podcast, Sean, Coops and Mairead take a closer look at F1's newest circuit, from its bizarre layout and questionable corners to the huge amount of runoff, tight sections and one particularly interesting banked corner.But there's one big question...Is Madring actually as bad as it looks?With only limited running having taken place at the circuit so far — including a Formula 3 test session featuring a staggering 19 red flags — nobody really knows what to expect when Formula 1 arrives.We discuss:🏁 What makes Madring so difficult to learn 💥 The 19-red-flag F3 test and what it tells us 🧠 Why a brand-new circuit could favour the younger drivers 🇮🇹 Charles Leclerc's fitness and whether Ferrari should risk him ⭐ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell heading into another crucial weekend 🔴 Whether Ferrari can recover from their Monza disaster ⚡ Mercedes' potential upgrades for the upcoming triple-header 🏆 Who has the advantage at a circuit nobody has raced at before 🇫🇮 Robin Räikkönen joining the Red Bull junior programme 🏎️ The hugely important Formula 3 championship finale 🔥 Freddie Slater vs Ugo Ugochukwu — and why you NEED to watch F3 this weekend 🎯 Our Spanish GP predictionsAnd, of course, Sean has already taken on Madring himself in the 2026-spec F1 car — completely sight unseen.No practice. No preparation. Just learning the circuit from scratch.Let's just say... it didn't exactly go smoothly.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro 01:00 – First impressions of Madring 03:50 – Why does this track look so strange? 06:40 – Sean's first experience driving Madring 08:00 – Is there actually anywhere to overtake? 10:20 – 19 red flags in Formula 3?! 12:00 – The massive learning curve facing F1 15:00 – Are there ANY good corners at Madring? 17:00 – Who will adapt quickest to a brand-new circuit? 20:30 – Charles Leclerc's fitness and Ferrari dilemma 25:00 – Should Isack Hadjar have returned this weekend? 31:30 – Kimi Antonelli vs George Russell 36:30 – Ferrari's latest drama 39:00 – Mercedes' upcoming upgrades 41:30 – Formula 2 championship battle 43:00 – Why you NEED to watch Formula 3 this weekend 44:00 – Freddie Slater vs Ugo Ugochukwu 49:30 – George Russell gets his own Silverstone grandstand 52:20 – Robin Räikkönen joins Red Bull 55:20 – Spanish GP weekend schedule 56:45 – Spanish GP predictions 58:40 – Who wins the F3 championship? 59:00 – Final thoughts on MadringSubscribe to Everything Trackside for more F1 previews, reviews, hotlaps, interviews and motorsport content.#F1 #Formula1 #SpanishGP #Madring #MadridGP #F12026 #EverythingTrackside #ETSF1Hotlaps #Formula2 #Formula3