Formula 1 has confirmed it will race at a new 5.47-kilometre street circuit in Madrid from 2026.
The development casts doubt on the future of F1’s current Spanish Grand Prix venue, the Circuit de Catalunya, whose contract runs until 2026.
The Barcelona circuit has hosted the Spanish round of the championship every year since 1991 and was until recently a frequently-used testing venue.
But the Ifema Madrid group behind a new street circuit in Madrid has won F1 over with its plan to host a race in the country’s capital. They have secured a 10-year deal to host F1 races.
Plans have been reveals for a track featuring 20 corners based around the Ifema Exhibition Centre. Laps are projected to take around 92 seconds, though this estimate rests on the performance of F1’s new cars and power units which are due to be introduced the same year Madrid returns to the calendar.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “I would like to thank the team at Ifema Madrid, the Regional Government of Madrid and the city’s mayor for putting together a fantastic proposal.
“It truly epitomises Formula 1’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.”
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F1 trumpeted the accessibility of its new addition to the calendar. It projects 90% of fans will be able to reach the venue using public transport. The venue’s capacity will be around 110,000 to begin with and the promoter plans to increase that to 140,000 over its first five yars on the calendar.
F1 raced at the permanent Jarama circuit north of the city from 1968. Its last race in Madrid took place in 1981. Prior to that F1 visited two other Spanish street circuits, both in Barcelona: Pedralbes, which held a pair of rounds in the fifties, and Montjuic Park, used four times between 1969 and 1975.
Jarama was the first of three permanent tracks to take over the race. The series next visited Jerez in Cadiz between 1986 and 1990 before the event moved to Barcelona.
An F1 spokesperson said the series remains in discussions with the long-time host of the Spanish Grand Prix about its future. The Circuit de Catalunya has invested in upgrades and improvements to the configuration of its track in recent years.
Spain has previously held…
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