Zinedine Zidane stole the spotlight at the first Formula 1 Grand Prix ever held in Madrid, turning up in high spirits inside the circuit just days before his first game in charge of the French national team.
The Frenchman admitted he had been itching to see the track. "I am very happy. I was eager to see the circuit, and I saw it yesterday. Although it is a very technical circuit, it is wonderful for me as a Formula 1 fan. It is great to witness a Grand Prix here," he said, nodding to his ties with the Spanish capital, where he lives.
An Alpine ambassador since 2023, Zidane also made a point of reaching out to Pierre Gasly after his victory at Monza last week. "I sent him a quick message, and I was happy for him. I know that achieving first place is extremely difficult, and when you achieve it, you must feel proud and happy," he said.
A large delegation from Real Madrid
Real Madrid stars turned out in force in the paddock, hours after their 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday evening.
Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Thibaut Courtois, Ibrahima Konate and Aurelien Tchouameni were among the most prominent faces at the circuit. Some of them dropped by the Ferrari paddock.
Kylian Mbappe missed the trip. Club legends filled the gap, though, with Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal all in attendance.
Rafael Nadal also came along to watch a race won by Kimi Antonelli, his eighth victory of the season with Mercedes. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris completed the podium.
Spanish hopes on home soil fell flat. Fernando Alonso trailed home in seventeenth, while Carlos Sainz finished second.