F1 legend Fernando Alonso takes jab at Ferrari over new Spanish Grand Prix track

Spanish Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso takes jab at Ferrari over new Spanish Grand Prix track

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Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Saturday 12 September 2026 21:56

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Fernando Alonso has taken a sly pop at Ferrari's decision to hold a filming day at the Madring before the first ever F1 race at the brand new track.

The Scuderia are the only team to have got some time in on the Spanish Grand Prix circuit, albeit a bare 200km on a freshly surfaced track which will drive very differently this weekend.

Teams aren't allowed to run filming days at a track up to 60 days before it hosts an F1 event, with Ferrari just nipping in a couple of days on the right side of that limit at the start of July.

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Alonso, was asked at Thursday's pre-race press conference what he thinks of the new 3.365-mile track ahead of his first real life experience of it on Friday, and joked that it was 'a better question for the Ferrari drivers'.

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Alonso: Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid will be special

The Spaniard said: "Yeah, it’s going to be a very nice weekend. As you said, we have this privilege to race two times in Spain this year and, yeah, for the very first time in Madrid. I think last time was in Jarama, you know, many, many years ago.

"So, yeah, it is special. Also a new track, so it adds this challenge, you know, for everyone to learn the track as quick as possible in free practice.

"These cars as well, with the new regulations, always tricky to fine-tune energy here and there, and especially if it is a new track. So, yeah, a lot of challenges ahead and, for me, yeah, double special because being in Spain." Asked about the track and whether he's driven it on Aston Martin's simulator, the veteran joked: "Yeah, I drove in the simulator, but maybe it’s a better question for the Ferrari drivers."

Alonso and his team-mate Lance Stroll are looking to rediscover the improved pace which they showed coming out of the summer break at Zandvoort, after a chastening weekend at Monza where the lack of power from their Honda power units was particularly stark.

Fortunately, the characteristics of the new Spanish track are expected to be much more like Zandvoort than Monza.