"A Dream Come True" – Carlos on his MADRING Debut

Carlos Sainz has described it as “a dream come true” – and for the 80,000 fans who lined the streets of Madrid this past weekend, it was the perfect way to mark the city’s return to Formula 1.

Atlassian Williams Racing and Carlos Sainz took centre stage at the MADRING Roadshow, putting the FW45 through its paces on parts of the newly revealed Spanish Grand Prix layout. The event, held in partnership with IFEMA MADRID, marked the official launch of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, with part of the roadshow’s one-kilometre route forming a section of the future Formula 1 circuit.

Returning to his hometown in unmistakable style, Carlos relished every moment behind the wheel of the FW45, the first F1 car ever to drive on part of the MADRING circuit.

“It’s a dream come true for me to be back in Madrid, driving the FW45 around the streets I grew up in,” Carlos said.

“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!”