GALLERY: Sainz completes the first laps at the brand-new Madring

Carlos Sainz got a taste of the new purpose-built Madring in Spain’s capital city, completing a lap ahead of the circuit’s debut for the Spanish Grand Prix scheduled for September.

Combining permanent sections of track with public roads, the Madring joins the F1 calendar for the first time in 2026 and will offer another exhilarating spectacle for drivers and fans alike.

Williams driver Sainz – who was born in Madrid – recently experienced what it’s like to drive the circuit, which features the aptly named banked turn ‘La Monumental’. With a 24% banking gradient surrounded by grandstands set to be full of spectators, this half-kilometre section is just one of the Madring’s electrifying challenges.

To check out the best photos from Sainz’s laps of the new circuit, click through the gallery at the top of the page.