From title fights to crashes and stunning overtakes – 8 of the best debut Grands Prix

F1 is heading to Madrid to race at a brand-new track this coming weekend, with the hugely exciting Madring set to make its bow as part of the 2026 season.

The drivers will have to contend with looming walls, some extreme banking and hot temperatures in Spain, meaning the world of F1 could be in for a very exciting weekend.

But while we patiently wait to see the cars hit the Madring later this week, let’s take a look at the sort of racing other tracks threw up in their inaugural Grand Prix.

From Championship fights to crashes, mechanical failures to team mate disputes, a few tracks certainly had debuts to remember…

Las Vegas 2023 – Glitz, glamour and plenty of drama

While Las Vegas had previously hosted the Caesars Palace Grand Prix, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit joined the calendar in 2023 for a spectacular night race against the backdrop of many iconic locations.

Ferrari initially locked out the front row in Qualifying, only for Carlos Sainz to be penalised for needing new PU parts. That left Charles Leclerc on pole and Max Verstappen second, those two delighting fans with wheel-to-wheel racing around the opening lap.

Leclerc emerged in the lead, Verstappen penalised for forcing his rival wide as the City of Lights was treated to some early drama. Sergio Perez also got involved in the battle up front, while Safety Cars meant the front runners diverged on strategy.

George Russell and Verstappen clashed at one point, Lando Norris crashed out and Fernando Alonso spun in a race where grip was at a premium in the cooler night time conditions.

In the end, Verstappen took the win courtesy of a great move on Leclerc, who managed to hold onto second despite Perez briefly also getting past. And as if the racing was not enough, Verstappen then got to pick up his trophy in front of the famous Bellagio fountains to boot.

Miami 2022 – Verstappen wins in the Sunshine State

Miami joined the calendar in 2022, the first year with a new generation of cars. The new track proved a hit too, the picturesque circuit winding its way around the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens.

Red Bull got out of the gates fast in 2022, with Verstappen the favourite to defend his title. The Dutchman won the first race in Miami, but was made to work exceptionally hard for victory with Leclerc hot on his heels for much of the Grand Prix.

Verstappen actually started third, but picked off Sainz and Leclerc to move into the lead and initially seemed like he would be untroubled from there. But then came a Pierre Gasly/Norris crash, which ripped the wheel off the McLaren and caused a Safety Car.

Some of the field came in for fresh tyres, others stayed out, and when the race resumed Verstappen could not get his hard tyres back up to temperature. He was forced to absorb plenty of pressure from Leclerc, with a freshly shod Perez also making moves from behind.

But the Dutchman just about hung on for the win, and did indeed go on to defend his title in 2022.

Saudi Arabia 2021 – Title rivals go head-to-head

When Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit arrived on the calendar in 2021, anticipation was high for a track that boasted some incredible speeds, with conditions set to be incredibly testing for the whole field.

The drama in Jeddah started on Saturday, when Verstappen crashed in Qualifying and lost his chance to start on pole. That left rival Lewis Hamilton to take the top spot, and he initially led from pole at the start of the race.

But the drama never let up on Sunday, with two pivotal red flag stoppages shaking things up. After the first, Verstappen went wide and cut back onto the track ahead of Hamilton, who also lost out to Esteban Ocon – before two crashes behind halted proceedings once again.

The next restart saw Ocon start ahead of Hamilton with Verstappen third, before the Dutchman took the lead when the others tangled. That was not enough drama though, with three VSC periods shaking things up once again. Before the chequered flag fell, there was also contact between Verstappen and Hamilton, the former told to cede position but doing so in such a place that the latter was caught unawares and he hit the rear wing of the Red Bull.

And for final measure, the two went side by side again, Verstappen running wide to retain the lead and in the end the stewards got involved. It proved a reasonably bad tempered affair, but crucially saw Hamilton draw level on points with his rival…

Portimao 2020 – A new venue in an unusual season

Portugal had hosted F1 races before, but in 2020, Portimao answered the call as the sport managed to return to racing amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The Algarve International Circuit is set to return again next season, which based on past results bodes very well for the sport.

In 2020, Hamilton was putting together a dominant season for Mercedes. He recorded his 92nd Grand Prix victory at the circuit, to break Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record for most race wins.

That was not the only thing Portimao was remembered for, with differing strategies in play causing plenty of overtakes in the early stages.

Sainz wound up leading from seventh on the grid after the opening exchanges, before Mercedes were able to recover – leading to an intra-team fight between Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, with the former taking one of the 11 victories he amassed across the season.

Azerbaijan 2016 – Rosberg takes the win on his title charge

The 2016 season will always be remembered for the fight at Mercedes between title holder Hamilton and team mate Nico Rosberg. It was the latter who took the inaugural win in Baku, at what was then named the European Grand Prix.

Rosberg was relatively untroubled around the unique city circuit, which has long wide straights, right-angled corners and then the tight and twisty castle section. But behind there was trouble brewing for his team mate.

Hamilton was struggling with reliability woes, climbing to fourth from a P10 grid slot before falling back with an ERS issue. That loss of points was one of many moments across the season he can point to as to where the title got away.

But while there was little joy for Hamilton, there was plenty for the fans with an action-packed race stuffed full of overtakes, with Baku delivering the goods – something it has continued to do ever since.

Turkey 2005 – Raikkonen makes late bid to stop Alonso’s charge

When Turkey joined the world of F1 in 2005, there was a clash of eras going on, with Fernando Alonso putting together a championship charge as Michael Schumacher’s dominance began to fade. But there was a third driver in play, with Kimi Raikkonen trying to haul a slower-starting McLaren to the title.

Raikkonen started on pole at Istanbul Park, the circuit immediately proving popular with drivers and fans alike. The Finn wound up taking the victory, but it was what was going on behind that added plenty of spice to proceedings.

Juan Pablo Montoya was running second, but collided with a back marker late on which allowed Alonso through to take P2, and some crucial extra championship points. Meanwhile, Schumacher and Mark Webber had a coming together too, in a race filled with incidents.

Despite a late run of victories, neither McLaren driver could overhaul Alonso who went on to take his maiden championship title in 2005.

Malaysia 1999 – A comeback race in attritional conditions

Malaysia joined the calendar in 1999 and was remembered as Schumacher’s comeback race, the German having sustained a broken leg in Silverstone earlier in the season. But it was also notable for how hard it was on drivers and cars, with just 11 finishers seeing the chequered flag.

There was some Ferrari shenanigans in play in Sepang, with a dominant Schumacher dropping behind Eddie Irvine to try and back the pack up, aiding his team mate’s title chances. Somehow Schumacher did manage to keep everyone at bay, with the Scuderia scoring a 1-2.

The drama did not stop when the track action ended though, with both scarlet cars disqualified for a technical breach, only to be reinstated on appeal.

So, all in all, Malaysia certainly delivered a first race to remember.

Hungary 1986 – One of the great overtakes

While Hungary had hosted a race back in the thirties, the Hungaroring joined the calendar in what was a historic first race behind the Iron Curtain in 1986. The track is often compared to a go-kart ring and it is easy to see why, with a series of sweeping corners and very few straights.

But the inaugural Grand Prix will always be remembered for one of the great overtaking moments in F1 history. Nelson Piquet dived around the outside of Ayrton Senna’s Lotus into Turn 1 and he managed to just hold his Williams ahead as he got sideways through the corner – the two just avoiding contact.

Piquet went on to win the race from Senna and team mate Nigel Mansell, who in third finished a lap down in a Grand Prix where 16 cars did not make it to the flag.