Rosberg says Sainz must share blame for Madring's processional Spanish GP

Nico Rosberg has directly criticised Carlos Sainz over the overtaking problems that plagued the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit, arguing the Williams driver must accept some responsibility given his role as the venue’s official ambassador.

The race, held at a semi-permanent track built around the IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid, marked Formula 1’s departure from the long-standing Barcelona-Catalunya circuit. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli took victory — his eighth win of the season — but the result was quickly overshadowed by widespread complaints about the circuit’s inability to produce wheel-to-wheel racing.

“Carlos Sainz was the ambassador, so we need to criticise Carlos Sainz,” Rosberg said after the race. “They need to revisit the track layout for next year and create one good overtaking opportunity. We need that on this track because it’s just too hard to overtake.”

Rosberg highlighted a particularly telling moment during the race: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, on fresher tyres and clearly quicker, was unable to find a way past Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. “It was pretty shocking. Piastri on Colapinto, for example. Piastri had fresh tyres, he could not get past. And he was so much quicker. It’s just super hard to overtake,” Rosberg added.

Former Aston Martin strategist and analyst Bernie Collins echoed those concerns, suggesting the overtaking deficiencies should have been identified and addressed before the circuit hosted a grand prix. “When you get the circuit all designed, you should go to them and ask the questions,” Collins said. “But I don’t think it necessarily needed a driver to say that at this stage, did it? We all got here, we all looked at the track and said, ‘That’s going to be very difficult for overtaking.’”

Collins did note, however, that the circuit’s organisers have indicated a willingness to make adjustments. “They have been very open to say they will make changes going forward. That’s not a permanent track. So one of those changes, I would hope, is that they’re going to make some differences in overtaking if they can.”

With the Madring set to remain on the calendar, the pressure is now on circuit designers — and, according to Rosberg, Sainz himself — to ensure the 2027 Spanish Grand Prix delivers a more competitive spectacle.