By admin 
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak was involved in a dramatic crash during the opening day of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, with his Formula 2 car catching fire after hitting the barrier at Turn 19.
The ART Grand Prix driver lost control while approaching the penultimate corner and went into the wall, with the impact causing his car to catch fire. Inthraphuvasak quickly climbed out and moved behind the barrier without suffering any injuries.
RED FLAGS 🚩
Tasanpol Intharphuvasak hits the barrier at Turn 19 as his car catches fire
The Thai driver is out of the car and behind the barrier. He’s all ok 👍#F2#SpanishGPpic.twitter.com/iIGEFk1CcN
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) September 11, 2026
The incident resulted in a red flag as marshals extinguished the fire, removed the damaged car, and cleaned up oil on the circuit. F2 practice resumed shortly afterward, but the crash became the latest talking point before F1’s first practice takes place at the new Madring circuit.
Notably, Inthraphuvasak’s crash came after Madring’s first major on-track test raised questions about the difficulty of the new circuit ahead of Formula 1’s arrival. FIA Formula 3 held a two-day test at the venue on August 24-25, producing 19 red flags, with 11 stoppages caused by cars making contact with the barriers.
The results quickly caught the attention of Formula 1 drivers.
F1 Drivers Raise Concerns About Madring
Carlos Sainz, who is a Madring ambassador and has previous experience of the circuit, discussed the F3 test ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Williams driver said, “Looking at the track and hearing of what happened in the F3 test, I think we are all expecting safety cars, red flags and yellow flags in qualifying and things like this.”
George Russell was even more blunt after completing his own track walk and simulator work. Speaking ahead of the weekend, the Mercedes driver told the media, “When I heard about [19] 20 red flags in F3, I was a bit surprised. And then after I drove on the sim, I was surprised there were only 20 red flags.”
Russell subsequently described Madring as “arguably the most risky circuit of the whole calendar,” highlighting the combination of high-speed corners and walls positioned close to the track.
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Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, focused on La Monumental, Madring’s heavily banked Turn 12, after experiencing the circuit during Ferrari’s filming day in July. Speaking about the corner ahead of the Spanish GP, the Ferrari driver said, “It’s a very, very special corner. It’s a corner where I feel in qualifying, we’ll have to, I will say it in a polite way, but we’ll have to be very brave because it’s going to be on the limit.”
Leclerc added that he believes the corner could become one of the most iconic on the F1 calendar once its grandstand is completed.
Lewis Hamilton highlighted a different challenge after Ferrari’s filming day. Discussing the track conditions, the seven-time world champion said, “There was no grip. So your tires were basically just covered in dust, and that’s the whole time.”
Hamilton also questioned whether the layout would make overtaking difficult, saying Madring “looks like it will be a qualifying lap sort of circuit” because there are few long straights.
Takeaway
The drivers’ comments do not necessarily suggest Madring is unsafe. The F3 test also allowed organizers to assess its safety and recovery procedures. However, the number of incidents and the drivers’ observations have made the limited margin for error one of the biggest talking points ahead of the weekend.
Now, Inthraphuvasak’s F2 crash has only amplified those concerns before F1 takes to the circuit. With 19 red flags during the F3 test and F1 drivers already anticipating interruptions, the dramatic scenes in F2 have provided an early indication of what could await the Grand Prix field.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 5:16 AM.