Vowles hails Madrid's debut F1 race as 'one to watch' despite overtaking concerns

Williams team principal James Vowles has backed Madrid’s new Formula 1 venue as a future standout on the calendar, even as the Madring circuit’s debut race drew criticism for producing limited overtaking.

F1 made its first visit to the brand-new Madring circuit last weekend for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the venue. Despite the logistical challenges that typically accompany new street circuits, Vowles was largely impressed by what he saw.

“First and foremost, well done to the organisers,” Vowles said on his podcast The Vowles Verdict. “It’s the first year of the grand prix, and typically that just means the event is a little chaotic, but it wasn’t the case in Madrid. In fact, what I would say is it may be one of the races to watch in the future.”

Vowles highlighted the venue’s accessibility — roughly half an hour from Madrid city centre, or around ten minutes by metro — and its unusually generous paddock space as genuine assets. He noted that the extra room could accommodate larger crowds, though it came with the downside of lengthy walks between the circuit’s two arenas.

The racing itself, however, drew mixed reviews. The highly technical layout offered drivers an enjoyable challenge but restricted on-track battles, with many observers calling for layout changes ahead of 2027.

“The racing also suffered slightly, and I’m sure the circuit organisers will be looking into how they can improve that for next year,” Vowles said. “Let’s look into how we can get more overtaking in future years. Otherwise, well done. Brilliant first race.”

For Williams specifically, the Madrid weekend underlined existing performance concerns. The team struggled with tyre graining on the softer compounds — a problem Vowles described as amplifying issues already present in the car — and he acknowledged the team has not added meaningful performance for some time, leaving them falling back relative to their midfield rivals.

On a more positive note, Vowles credited Pirelli for bringing a tyre selection that allowed the hard compound to run close to full race distance, and praised the quality of the new circuit’s tarmac surface as a contributing factor.