Toto Wolff will be on the phone to the FIA when he hears what Ferrari are now planning

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Ferrari have been smarter than ever in exploiting the Formula 1 regulations this year, much to the annoyance, no doubt, of Mercedes.

During the off-season, they led the offensive over Mercedes’ fuel compression ratio trick, which culminated in stricter tests being introduced at the Monaco GP. While the impact on track seems to have been minimal, this was still a political victory.

More recently, Ferrari questioned Mercedes’ diffuser design, prompting an FIA ban. The Silver Arrows had to make last-minute modifications to their upgrade in Austria.

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Why Ferrari’s Madrid filming day is unfair

Now, Ferrari have pulled off another masterstroke. Under the regulations, teams are allowed two filming days per year.

And according to Motorsport IT, Ferrari have booked one in for this week at the brand-new Madrid Grand Prix circuit. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be in attendance.

While mileage is capped to a maximum of 200km and they can’t use Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyres, this is still a significant sporting advantage.

The Madring is 5.4km long, which means Ferrari can, in theory, complete 36 laps. The track conditions won’t be exactly the same – it’s likely to be a little cooler in September – but this will be like having an extra practice session.

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F1 drivers are talented enough to learn and master a circuit quickly, but Ferrari will have an invaluable data-gathering opportunity.

Toto Wolff and the rest of Ferrari’s rivals are bound to question the fairness of the test. Even if it’s in the interests of circuit organisers, surely all the teams should be invited, perhaps on separate days?

Ferrari are going to arrive in the Spanish capital shortly after the summer break with a head-start.

Lewis Hamilton is only 32 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings and Ferrari are hunting Mercedes in the constructors’ too (the gap is currently 78). There’s a real chance that the Madrid GP weekend is pivotal in the title race.