Madrid's inaugural Spanish GP trophy splits fans as 'churro' comparisons take hold

Formula 1’s trophy for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid has sparked a lively debate among fans, with a single Reddit comment about a fried Spanish pastry threatening to define the award before a single lap has been run.

Event organisers revealed the trophy ahead of the race weekend, which marks the series’ first visit to the Madrid semi-street circuit. The curved, silver design is modelled on the circuit’s banked La Monumental corner and features the track map as a cross-section outlined in red.

It took little time for the internet to find its angle. “Looks like a churro,” one fan posted on Reddit, setting off a chain reaction that others were quick to acknowledge. “I love that they must have brainstormed and engineered this thing for months, if not years, and one guy on Reddit says it looks like a churro and from now on it is the churro trophy,” came the reply.

The churro thread continued with a nod to last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, where Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was photographed eating spaghetti out of his Monza trophy. “If Kimi wins, he should put chocolate into his bowl trophy and dip this trophy in,” one fan suggested.

Not all reactions were playful. One commenter took aim at the circuit’s branding choices: “Naming a turn ‘La Monumental’ of a circuit that hasn’t hosted a single second of any kind of race, let alone F1, as if it had any historical significance, is certainly a bit bold.”

Others were more generous. “I’ve been critical of many things, but I think the trophy looks good,” one fan wrote, while another offered a broader verdict: “Great-looking trophy. Cross-section of the course map and the curve of La Monumental. Great design overall. Much better than the Monza trophy. Obviously inspired by the Monaco trophy.”

There was also appreciation for the craft behind it: “The forging process for this would be super cool to see.”

Cars will take to the Madrid circuit for the first time during practice on Friday 11 September, with the Spanish Grand Prix itself scheduled for Sunday 13 September.