Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have downplayed just how much Ferrari gained from their recent filming day at Madrid's brand new Madring circuit. Both drivers took to the track during the Scuderia's early visit, which came as a surprise to McLaren. The team's principal Andrea Stella admitted he wasn't informed about the run and suggested Ferrari might have picked up a small advantage, though he was quick to note nothing rule-breaking happened.

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Hamilton described the whole experience as a bit of a non-event, really. The circuit was still basically a construction site, covered in dust and running at ridiculous temperatures. He only managed a handful of laps before the conditions became pointless, with demo tyres caked in grime and zero grip to speak of. According to Hamilton, the track surface was so slippery that you couldn't push hard enough to get meaningful data. The big takeaway? It'll be a qualifying specialist's paradise with virtually no overtaking opportunities.

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Leclerc echoed Hamilton's assessment, saying the dirt everywhere made it impossible to properly evaluate the layout. He did spot potential though, particularly loving the fact it's a city circuit with serious technical demands. The standout feature for Charles is La Monumental, the banked Turn 12 that'll be the longest continuous curve on the F1 calendar. He reckons it could become legendary once drivers can actually attack it at full chat, especially with grandstands packed with fans.

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The bigger picture here is that while McLaren felt left out of the loop, there's genuinely not much to complain about. Stella acknowledged the advantage, if any, is minimal since track conditions during a construction phase bear zero resemblance to race weekend reality. Both Hamilton and Leclerc figure they'll have completely forgotten about this early glimpse once the Madring gets a proper cleaning and the rubber goes down. Either way, come race time, everyone will be starting from a similar baseline of confusion about this wild new venue.

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