Hamilton and Leclerc reveal first onboard lap of Madrid's new F1 circuit

On July 9, Ferrari took to the track with its full-time driver line-up and 2026 car, completing the first laps of the brand-new semi-street circuit that will host the Madrid Grand Prix in September.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc made the most of the limited mileage available during the filming day to familiarise themselves with the layout while also gathering promotional footage. Ferrari later shared the first onboard lap on its social media channels, even though the circuit is still far from its finished state.

However, the onboard lap already offers a first look at some of the circuit's most distinctive features ahead of September, including the run through the tunnel in the opening sector and, above all, the much-anticipated Monumental corner, which is set to feature an extreme banking comparable to that of Zandvoort.

You can watch the full on-board lap below.

Madring general manager Luis Garcia Abad has revealed further details about Ferrari's filming day at the new Madrid circuit, where the drivers faced extremely hot conditions, with track temperatures exceeding 37 degrees.

Lewis Hamilton also raised concerns over the compression, prompting Garcia Abad to jokingly suggest that slowing down would be the easiest way to reduce the issue. Despite that, both Ferrari drivers were positive about the circuit. Charles Leclerc highlighted how demanding qualifying is expected to be, particularly because of how close the cars will run to the walls. Garcia Abad stressed that the layout was designed and approved in collaboration with Formula 1 and the FIA, with all 22 corners forming part of the agreed configuration.

He also described the section between Turns 4 and 19 as a rollercoaster, featuring gradients of up to 8.5 per cent and several blind corners. Turns 7 and 8 are completely unsighted, while the approach to the Monumental includes a five per cent descent followed by a 24 per cent gradient. According to Garcia Abad, drivers will be unable to take the section flat out because of the limited visibility and the blind exit. He concluded by stressing that success at the circuit will require both a strong driver and a competitive car.