Sainz & Williams mark first ever F1 outing at Madrid Circuit

By Williams Racing
June 9 2025

This past weekend, Carlos Sainz and Atlassian Williams Racing brought the thrill of F1 to Madrid, headlining the MADRING Roadshow in partnership with IFEMA MADRID, as the FW45 lit up the streets of the future Spanish Grand Prix circuit.

Sainz and Williams mark first ever F1 outing at Madrid Circuit

It was a milestone moment, with Atlassian Williams Racing’s FW45 becoming the first F1 car to take to the newly formed MADRING circuit, marking the official launch of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, with part of the event’s one-kilometre route to feature in the upcoming track.

Over 80,000 people lined the track to celebrate Carlos’ return to his home streets of Madrid as the city prepares for F1’s return to Spain’s capital for the first time since 1981.

Carlos Sainz: “It’s a dream come true for me to be back in Madrid, driving the FW45 around the streets I grew up in. I’ll never forget driving this car in front of a crowd of 80,000 people from all over the world. It’s been a super emotional day, but it’s just a taste of what will be coming in 2026. Next year will be huge for Madrid as it becomes part of F1 and I can't wait!”