Flexi-wings and fading tracks: Spain’s F1 weekend poses big questions

It’s been a busy 11 weeks for Formula 1. The sport has hosted nine races across three continents — Asia, America, and now Europe. The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, brings to a close a key triple-header for the sport.

Madrid is next — or is it?

From 2026, the Spanish Grand Prix is set to move to Madrid. Alongside a passion for Formula 1, the organisers also seem to have a sense of humour — they’ve named their ambitious new circuit the “Madring.”

However, delays in construction could give Imola — where Formula 1 raced a fortnight ago — a one-year reprieve. The irony may not be lost on the sport: first, it plans to take away Italy’s second race (with Monza remaining) in favour of a higher-paying venue; then it’s happy to have Imola as a convenient backup to ensure a 24-race calendar — a critical number for the business.

This could mean that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which has hosted Formula 1 since 1991, might be staging its final Grand Prix this weekend. Local hero and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, however, remains hopeful:

“Barcelona has been here for the last two or three decades, and Barcelona will be here for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years.”

Whether Formula 1 rotates the race between Madrid and Barcelona, with each hosting every other year, or ends up staging two Spanish Grands Prix annually — despite being unwilling to do the same for Italy — depends on one key factor: money.

Formula 1 is a sport where the rulemakers (the FIA) have fewer engineers than the participants — the teams themselves. Beginning this weekend, a new Technical Directive (TD) has been introduced to clamp down on “flexing” of the front and rear wings.

The TD, the result of intense lobbying and politicking in the paddock, is expected to shake up the competitive order — specifically, many believe it could slow down reigning champions McLaren. Some insiders even argue the directive has split the 2025 season into two: the first third of races (eight), and everything that follows.

“Where there are wings, there will be flex,” is a popular adage in motorsport. But I prefer Lewis Hamilton’s take on the matter. The seven-time World Champion called the TD a “waste of money” and added:

“Everyone’s wings still bend — just half the bending.”

The Ferrari star appeared unconvinced that the directive had changed the pecking order.

TD or not, McLaren dominated Saturday’s Qualifying with a stunning 1-2 finish. Oscar Piastri out-qualified teammate Lando Norris and the rest of the field by two-tenths — the largest margin of the 2025 season so far. Regardless of who wins on Sunday, the true impact of the TD may only be felt in the races that follow.

— Kunal Shah is an FIA-accredited Formula 1 journalist & a TV expert. He is the former Head of Marketing, Sponsorship & junior driver programme at the Force India F1 team.