Honda has warned that the banked La Monumental corner at the Madring circuit will prove \u201cquite challenging\u201d for the lubrication systems of the F1 2026 engines.<\/p>\n
But Aston Martin has stopped short of agreeing with Williams boss James Vowles that the new Spanish Grand Prix venue is \u201ca killer track.\u201d<\/p>\n
Honda: La Monumental \u2018quite challenging\u2019 for F1 2026 engines<\/p>\n
The new Madring circuit, the first new track added to the calendar since Las Vegas in 2023, is preparing to host its first Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.<\/p>\n
A recent F3 test at the street circuit saw 19 red flags, 11 of which were caused by barrier contact<\/a>.<\/p>\n Turn 12, more commonly known as La Monumental, has been billed as the signature corner of the Madring.<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso vs Lance Stroll: Aston Martin head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season<\/p>\n F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates<\/a><\/p>\n La Monumental is a banked 550-metre-long right-hander with a predicted entry speed of 300 kilometres per hour and a potential sustained 4G compression lasting two seconds in the middle of the corner.<\/p>\n Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets on Thursday in Madrid, Honda trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara predicted that La Monumental will force teams and manufacturers to closely monitor aerodynamic loads through the corner.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cYesterday I did a track run and I saw that banked corner. That is quite challenging and interesting.<\/p>\n \u201cSo for the power side, probably the main interesting point is the lubrication system. We have G [forces through that corner] for the lateral side and also vertical side, so it\u2019s quite challenging for the lubrication system.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we may start with a conservative setting for lubrication and then we will see where we are. Then we will do [increase] this margin step by step for quali.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he agrees with Vowles\u2019 assessment that Madrid is a killer track for the F1 2026 cars, Aston Martin chief trackside engineer Mike Krack replied: \u201cLet\u2019s do some laps first and then we see how this track is.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it is clear that there were a lot of incidents with Formula 3, but also things have been changed since.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there was even some resurfacing done in the meantime. I think there was some tweaks done on the track, so I don\u2019t think it\u2019s so dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n Krack revealed that Aston Martin paid close attention to the F3 test in Madrid at the end of last month for some early clues to how the F1 race weekend might unfold.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI think we often look at F3 for the simple reason that often they are the first cars on track, so that\u2019s nothing new or nothing unusual.<\/p>\n \u201cNow it is unusual that they have a test here before anyone is running, so we look at it and we try to get as much information as possible from it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that is nothing exceptional. Every Formula 1 team is trying to get as much info as they can because you start in a better place.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if you start in a better place, you go forward quicker, so I think that\u2019s something that everybody has.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if the teams were supplied any additional data ahead of the inaugural race at the Madring, Krack added: \u201cNothing more than in other events.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n