F1 2026: Spanish Grand Prix Preview and Predictions

After an electrifying Italian Grand Prix last weekend, racing doesn’t stop as the grid heads to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix.

A new street track in Madrid will be making its debut, as Formula One moves away from Barcelona to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will be high on confidence after his iconic and incredible back-of-the-field win in Monza, while Ferrari, who had a race to forget at home, will be hoping to bounce back before they fall out of contention in both championships. 

Here, we present our preview and predictions for the 2026 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.

Moving into the unknown

For the first time since 1991, the Spanish Grand Prix will be moving away from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to a new home: the Madring in Barajas, Madrid. With a layout of 5.416 km and 22 corners, the Madrid street track is set to have four main overtaking zones and the longest banked curve in F1, named “La Monumental”, which is a semicircular corner around 550m long and banking of up to 24%.

As the grid heads into a completely new street circuit, it is uncharted waters for the drivers. On paper, it should be a strong track for Mercedes and Ferrari as the two teams have a strong setup for the street circuits and will start as favourites, although all teams come in with a bit of uncertainty. Case in point, Williams team boss James Vowles has already stated that the new circuit will be a rough one for all teams due to high G-forces. Expect a chaotic race as they venture into the unknown. 

Pole prediction: Kimi Antonelli / Lewis Hamilton
Race winners prediction: Mercedes / Ferrari

A homecoming not wanted by Alonso and Sainz?

The race in Madrid means it will be a homecoming for the two Spanish drivers on the grid, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz.

The duo have had a rough 2026 season so far: Alonso is the only one who has points for Aston Martin, with the Silverstone-based team having struggled to keep up with the rest of the grid. Sainz and Williams, meanwhile, aren’t too far off, as after three ninth-place finishes in the opening five races he has failed to finish in the points and is currently on an eight-race non-scoring streak. Only the Cadillac duo and Lance Stroll have a longer non-scoring streak than him.

After spending the first ten rounds right at the back of the field, even struggling to finish the races initially, Aston Martin’s recent Dutch Grand Prix upgrades have moved them up from the very end of the field, but scoring points on merit is still a big ask from them. Williams have struggled, especially on Saturdays, as they have had no pace to move up the grid for a high start on Sundays.

While Sainz has had a couple of Q2 appearances, he has failed to make it to Q3, and with Alpine and Audi having better race pace, Williams have just managed to finish ahead of Cadillac and Aston Martin and are expected to have another rough outing in Madrid.

Alpine on the rise

Alpine might not have picked up a podium or even a top-five finish in Monza, but Pierre Gasly did impress. The Frenchman picked up his maiden career pole with a stunning qualifying session on Saturday, beating the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. While he wasn’t able to match the race pace of Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren, both Gasly and Franco Colapinto put in strong drives to pick up a much-needed double points finish in Italy. 

Alpine’s double points finish in Monza sees them keep the pressure on Racing Bulls for fifth place in the Constructors’ standings. They are looking like a solid midfield team, capable of the odd upset. Alpine brought back their folding rear wing in Monza, which saw the A526 generate less aerodynamic drag and was helpful on the long straights. It remains to be seen whether Alpine bring back the low downforce package to Madrid as well, with the rear wing opening in reverse, or if they go back to the more conventional approach.

Most recently, Alpine had brought upgrades in Zandvoort, where Gasly picked up points in Sprint as well as the main race. Given the improved showing in Monza, and moving to a track that will bring about a lot of uncertainty, Alpine are one of the teams in the mix to pick up a big haul of points should there be chaos at the front. 

Dark Horses: Alpine

F1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026: Race details

Circuit: Circuito de Madring
Venue: Barajas, Madrid, Spain
Practice Session 1 time: 17:00 IST, September 11, 2026
Practice Session 2 time: 20:30 IST, September 11, 2026
Practice Session 3: 16:00 IST, September 12, 2026
Qualifying time: 19:30 IST, September 12, 2026
Main race time: 18:30 IST, September 13, 2026
Where to watch: F1 TV Pro / FanCode