Jose Mourinho Opens Up on His F1 Obsession and the Madring's Debut Grand Prix

Football and motorsport rarely share a headline, but Jose Mourinho made sure they did last weekend when the veteran coach turned up at the Madring circuit for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new venue. The Portuguese tactician, a self-confessed F1 fan for years, sat down with F1.com to discuss the capital’s first Grand Prix, his personal connection to the paddock, and what football could borrow from motorsport’s approach to pressure.

Saturday night in Madrid told its own story before the cars ever hit the track. Real fans packed the streets, buoyed by a midweek 2-1 Champions League win over Inter Milan and expecting another statement result against Rayo Vallecano. Mourinho delivered. Real Madrid raced to a 3-0 lead by half-time behind goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, closing out a 4-1 victory that pulled them level on points with FC Barcelona at the top of the table.

Twelve hours later, Mourinho swapped the Bernabeu for a different kind of arena. He and several squad members, Bellingham included, headed to the Madring, F1’s new hybrid street and permanent circuit built around the IFEMA Exhibition Centre, sitting less than four kilometres from Real Madrid’s training pitches.

A First Visit to Madrid’s Own Grand Prix

Mourinho is no paddock newcomer. He has attended multiple races in past seasons, including last year’s British Grand Prix, but this one carried added weight given its proximity to his daily routine.

“I’ve enjoyed it F1 for a while, and I’ve been to a few races, but of course this is the first one at the Madring,” Mourinho told F1.com. “Because I work just around the corner, every day that I was coming to work or leaving work, I was following it, the building process, and the more we were approaching this day, there was more emotion for everybody.”

What Football Can Learn From the F1 Paddock

Having managed Manchester United, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Roma across a career built on more than 25 major trophies, including UEFA Champions League titles, Europa League/UEFA Cup honors and multiple domestic crowns, Mourinho, 63, has spent decades under scrutiny. He sees a parallel with the pressure drivers face on race weekends, and believes his own sport lags behind in one specific area.

“You know, it’s huge pressure for both,” he said. “When you have sports at the highest level, we are always speaking about huge pressure. But I feel that they F1 are one step ahead of us in terms of the way they approach the big moments. In football we close each other off, I believe, too much, also because of tradition. These guys the drivers, there’s huge pressure, but before that time in the car, they are together, they meet people, they do a little bit of PR, they do a little bit of media. I think we have to learn with them, the way they can be relaxed, and half an hour later they can be in the car fighting for their lives, because they take risks.”

Could Mourinho Ever Run an F1 Team?

Asked about the hypothetical of trading the touchline for a team principal’s chair, Mourinho didn’t hesitate to admit the gap in his knowledge, though he made clear he treats every paddock visit as a learning exercise.

“I have no idea!” Mourinho said. “I just have to learn. I learn with F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali; I ask him lots of questions. I tried to learn with all of them the people I meet, and I like very much to come to watch F1. It was not possible on Saturday, because I had a match day, but I like to come for the Qualifyings, I like to come for the training sessions Free Practices, because then clearly you can be closer, and you can interact more. Today is their day, and it’s the day I like to respect their privacy.”

Friendships Built Across the Paddock

Mourinho’s ties to the sport extend well beyond casual spectating. His Madring visit included several catch-ups and motorhome stops, among them a conversation with Domenicali and four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who received his pole position trophy from Mourinho at Silverstone in 2025.

“I know almost all of them, and everybody has been so nice to me over so many years,” Mourinho said. “Now we’re coming to some new people, to some new generations, but I always had great respect from them. Because, as a family, we are so close to Stefano, it is of course a great way to be invited, we invited ourselves, and to have always the reception that we have.”

His stop at the Madring was brief, sandwiched between a Champions League win and a La Liga statement, but the enthusiasm in his answers leaves little doubt he’ll be back in the paddock before long.

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