Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both downplayed any significance of the laps they completed at the Madring circuit during a Ferrari filming day, after McLaren questioned whether the Scuderia gained an unfair advantage by doing so.
The Madring will host Formula 1 for the first time next month as the sport’s new home for the Spanish Grand Prix, with the finishing touches to the track still ongoing.
Ferrari ran both Hamilton and Leclerc at the circuit last month as part of a promotional filming day – but the exercise did not go unnoticed by rivals.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella claimed that there was no advance notice of Ferrari’s visit, and whilst stressing the Scuderia did not breach any regulations with the test – as well as acknowledging filming days carry strict rules that disable discernible advantages for teams – believes there could always be some sort of edge gained.
“We were not informed that Ferrari would have had this session in Madrid,” he said, adding: “The tyres are not very representative, and the track conditions will have been like horribly slippery because it’s just a construction site.
“[But] There’s always a little bit that you can learn. You have some references. Especially with this year’s power units, you get some references such that you don’t start from data that you have to completely assume because nobody has been there.
“So possibly a little bit of an advantage. It arrived to us as a surprise, but nothing that goes against the regulations. So we are thankful that at least we can see the track from the on-board.
“I think after a few laps in Madrid, we will have forgotten about that, and we will just get along with just focusing on the race weekend, so not a big deal.”
Dust and dirt render Ferrari’s Madring jaunt irrelevent, according to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
Hamilton, for his part, suggested there was little to actually learn from the session. Driving on demonstration tyres – as per the rules – around a circuit still surrounded by construction work, he described conditions as extremely dusty and lacking grip, with tyres picking up dirt throughout the run.
“We only had a few laps,” the seven-time World Champion confirmed. “It was very, very dusty, as you would expect for a new circuit, and there was no grip. Your tyres were basically just covered in dust the whole time.
“The track was like 60 degrees or something like that, so it looks like it’ll be probably a qualifying lap sort of circuit, and there’s not really any straights. So it looks like it could be quite a difficult place to overtake.”
Asked about the prospect of drivers taking the long, banked Turn 12 — dubbed La Monumental — flat out, Hamilton said he expected speeds to rise once the track surface cleans up, but confirmed lifting was necessary during Ferrari’s run given how slippery conditions were. He called the experience of sampling a brand new circuit “pretty cool” nonetheless.
“I did some laps behind a Stelvio, or whatever that car was,” he said. “Obviously, it was in the middle of the works. There was still so much work, and there was so much dirt on the track.
“But it looks like a cool track, and I love city tracks. It felt like a very challenging city track, which has all the characteristics that I like. So I cannot wait to try it properly once we go there for the race weekend.”
The Spanish Grand Prix will be held over the weekend of September 11-13.
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