MADRING completes paving Turn 12, La Monumental as preparation for Spanish Grand Prix gathers pace

Known as La Monumental, the corner measures 550 metres and is built as a sweeping semicircle with 24% banking. According to organisers, drivers will spend around 6 seconds loaded into the turn, making it one of the most technically demanding sections of the new circuit.

The completion of the first base layer marks another visible step in the construction of the Madrid venue, which remains on schedule with 172 days to go before the event. Turn 12 is expected to be the standout section of the layout, both for its scale and for the challenge it will pose once Formula 1 cars hit the track.

The banking rises to a maximum height of 10 metres, creating a steep asphalt wall unlike anything else currently seen on the calendar. That alone is likely to make La Monumental one of the most closely watched features of the new Madrid circuit when the Spanish Grand Prix arrives later this year.

Organisers described the paving of Turn 12 as one of the most complex operations of the entire project because of the corner’s shape and gradient.

To complete the job, 2 pavers were used in synchrony to maintain continuity and consistency across the banking. That kind of setup is unusual, but it was needed to achieve the required level of accuracy on such an aggressive piece of track design.

More than 1,800 cubic metres of asphalt mix were used for the section. The material was produced at the Vicálvaro plant in Madrid and laid at roughly 170 degrees, with a working window of around 30 minutes from production to placement.

That short timeframe made local logistics critical. The proximity of the plant allowed the project team to move quickly enough to preserve the quality and consistency of the asphalt during one of the most demanding phases of the build.

For a circuit still taking shape, the completion of La Monumental gives MADRING its first truly defining visual and technical landmark.

Construction is continuing across the full project, with paving work on the remainder of the layout in the Valdebebas area scheduled for this week and next. The intermediate asphalt layer is then due to be laid in April.

Elsewhere, the future team garages are already visible from outside the Pit Building, which is also progressing. That offers further evidence that the permanent infrastructure is moving forward alongside the track surface work.

Madrid’s new race is one of the most closely scrutinised additions to the Formula 1 calendar, and Turn 12 is clearly central to how organisers want the circuit to be identified. Its scale, banking and profile are intended to give the venue a section that is instantly recognisable.

Whether La Monumental becomes a genuine driver favourite or simply a visual talking point will only be answered in September, but with the asphalt now down, MADRING has put in place the corner that is expected to define its first Grand Prix. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)