Just a few months ago we celebrated the Ford Mustang Dark Horse 1 marking the debut of MADRING, the Spanish capital’s future Formula 1 street circuit.
Now we are creating another special moment. An icon of global motorsport meeting the most spectacular Mustang road car ever built, as Carlos Sainz Snr gets behind the wheel of the Mustang GTD 2 — the fastest and most technically advanced road-legal sports car ever created by Ford.
“El Matador" drove the MADRING layout, a unique first encounter to analyse firsthand and through expert eyes, the challenges of this brand-new circuit
This isn't a video game fantasy; it’s motorsport history, and we captured it all.
A Race Car with a License Plate
Seeing the Ford Mustang GTD parked in the grounds of the Institución Ferial de Madrid is already intimidating. Clothed in carbon fibre body panels, sporting a huge rear wing and state-of-the-art aerodynamic solutions, this is a car that uses technologies not permitted in motorsport, yet it is fully street-legal. That's why there was no better setting for its Madrid debut than the hybrid circuit — half street, half purpose-built track — of MADRING.
Although the track is still in its preparation phase with crews working on-site which prevented fully unleashing the 826 PS 3 of its supercharged 5.2-litre V8, the day served as an invaluable study of run-off areas, corners, and acceleration zones.
Carlos Sainz Snr’s Technical Verdict: "A Physical Circuit with No Rest"
If anyone knows what it means to drive fast and analyse a complex circuit, it's Carlos Sainz Snr. In fact, the Madrid-born driver already had the opportunity to explore the dirt of this track aboard a Ford F-150 Raptor before the first layer of asphalt was laid down.
After experiencing it with the Mustang GTD, he offers a technical analysis that is pure gold for fans: "In my view, it's a very complicated circuit. It’s going to be tough, it's not easy to drive, and it has many complex sections. Plus, I think it's a track where there will be no rest; the driver will have to work constantly, and it’s going to be very physical. The 'Monumental' turn, for example, is going to be physically demanding."
Regarding his experience behind the wheel of the exclusive Mustang GTD, Carlos Sainz Snr made no secret of his enthusiasm for the car, leaving him wanting a second chance without track traffic:
"I would have loved for the circuit to be 100 per cent closed so I could really push it. The car is spectacular, with a lot of power. Ford has built a great car, and if you let me have it another day when things are quieter, I'll test it and push it a little harder," he commented with a knowing smile.
A Guaranteed Spectacle for Fans
The verdict from the two-time World Rally Champion and Dakar winner is clear: the future Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid will be an unmissable event for F1 enthusiasts.
"It’s going to be a spectacular weekend. The circuit has a lot to offer, and it will be an incredible event for motorsport fans. And what’s more, right here in Madrid."
Explore assets
1 Mustang homologated CO2 emissions 273-282 g/km and homologated fuel efficiency 12.0-12.4 l/100 km WLTP.
2 Mustang GTD homologated CO2 emissions 349 g/km and homologated fuel efficiency 15.3 l/100 km WLTP. The declared WLTP fuel/energy consumptions and CO2-emissions are determined according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended. The applied standard test procedures enable comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers.
3 Horsepower and torque are independent attributes and may not be achieved simultaneously.
