Ferrari to gain valuable advantage with a clever F1 test

Ferrari is set to become the first F1 team to run on the Madring when Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc take to the new Madrid street circuit on Thursday, RacingNews365 understands.

The Scuderia will conduct a filming day at the venue, which is scheduled to host the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time this September.

Under the terms of the regulations, filming days are capped at a maximum of 200 kilometres, but the outing will nonetheless give Ferrari a meaningful head start in understanding a circuit that is an entirely unknown quantity for every team on the grid.

The SF-26 will be the first modern Formula 1 car to turn a wheel on the 5,416-metre layout, which features 22 corners and a distinctive elevated section.

With both race drivers sharing duties, Ferrari will begin building a picture of the circuit's characteristics well ahead of the September race weekend, intelligence that carries considerable value given there is no historical data to draw upon.

The timing of the visit is noteworthy. Until recently, the Madring remained a construction site in several areas, with paddock infrastructure and spectator facilities still being completed at the time of a recent media visit.

The circuit surface itself, however, is ready, and Ferrari's arrival on Thursday will serve as a practical confirmation of that readiness.

The filming day carries significance beyond Ferrari's own preparations. For the Madring's organisers, having a current Formula 1 car complete laps of the circuit represents a valuable operational test ahead of its inaugural world championship round.

Any issues with the facility can be identified and addressed with several weeks still remaining before the paddock descends on Madrid in earnest.

For Ferrari, the opportunity to gather even limited data on braking points, kerb characteristics and circuit layout before their rivals have set foot on the venue is a tangible competitive advantage, however small the mileage permitted under filming day rules.