By adding Madrid, F1 is risking street circuit saturation

Madrid is the latest city to get in on the Formula One boom with a street race, set to be added to the calendar in 2026, but the reaction to the new venue has been mixed at best.

“Street race” has become a loaded term in F1. To some critics, it can be an overwhelmingly negative description of a venue with an expectation of a processional race following the leader, although there have been great, good and bad examples of that type of event throughout the sport’s history.

Whether for or against the concept, it is impossible to ignore the trend forming on the Formula One calendar. This year, seven of the 24 races will be street races — Madrid will extend that number to eight. One is arguably the most famous race of all, in Monaco, and Singapore became F1’s first night event in 2008. Melbourne and Baku have established themselves as popular events, and three — Las Vegas, Miami and Saudi Arabia — have been added this decade.

Is F1 reaching a saturation point with this type of venue? Are people just bored of street races? Or are they all being unfairly tarnished with the same broad brush?

F1’s DNA

The question about street racing resonates given the popularity of purpose-built racetracks such as Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka and Silverstone, just to name a few of F1’s standout venues. It seems to go deeper than simply what types of circuits are joining the schedule, it’s as much about what they are replacing.

Some apprehension from fans will be that Madrid will replace Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, a venue that has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991. It might not be an overwhelming fan favourite, but it is a venue that can boast 12 world champions — Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Mika Häkkinen, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Jenson Button, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Nico Rosberg — on its list of winners. That’s heritage that cannot simply be conjured from thin air. Spain has also had an unsuccessful new event in recent memory: Valencia’s street track had a short-lived run as host of the European Grand Prix in the early 2010s.

F1 fans were perhaps somewhat spoiled by the number of conventional circuits during the pandemic-affected 2020 season. Given the nature of the restrictions in various countries, the championship filled gaps in the calendar by going to different circuits built specifically for racing — Istanbul Park in Turkey, the…