Madring theft sparks police investigations in build-up to F1 debut

Spanish police are investigating the theft of 300 metres of electrical cables from the Madring less than two weeks before Formula 1's newest venue debuts. 

Preparations for the Spanish Grand Prix, which will complete a double-header following immediately on from this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, have been hindered by the theft of electrical cables. 

With the timing and track safety systems, not to mention the broadcasting equipment, there is a substantial amount of cabling that loops around the full track layout at any venue. 

Spanish publication ABC has reported that the police are investigating this incident, although it did not confirm whether any arrests have been made. The report suggests that the cables were taken from a tunnel section of the track, which is likely to be the run between Turns 17 and 18. 

While unquestionably an inconvenience, Crash.net understands that there are back-up systems in place should something like this occur.

The Madring hosted its first full on-track session recently, with Formula 3 drivers completing a two-day in-season test in Madrid. While getting drivers back up to speed after the long summer shutdown, this also gave the circuit a chance to test its systems, most notably the red flag protocols, which were called into action 19 times.

The F3 test highlighted a number of difficult areas around the track, as drivers pushed the limits on the freshly laid asphalt and found the walls with a startling degree of regularity. 

This will be F1's second race in Spain this year, after Lewis Hamilton took victory in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix earlier this year. Should Fernando Alonso not confirm a decision on his future at Monza this weekend, it is possible that he would elect to make an announcement in front of his home fans.