Formula 1 announced on Tuesday that the Spanish Grand Prix, usually held in Barcelona, will be held in Madrid from 2026 until 2035.
The 5.47 km long route, which has yet to be approved by the FIA, should cross the north of the capital passing through the IFEMA exhibition center where the Madrid Fair is held, close to Barajas airport.
A “hybrid” circuit with covered paddocks, which could accommodate a total of “more than 110,000 spectators per day”, or even “140,000” during the first part of the nine-year agreement, according to the F1 press release.
“Madrid is an incredible city, with a great sporting and cultural heritage, and this announcement is the start of an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” reacted Stefano Domenicali, president of Formula 1, promoter of the world championship.
“Madrid does not only aspire to organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix, it wants to organize the best Formula 1 Grand Prix in the world,” added Madrid Mayor José Luis Martinez-Almeida during the official presentation.
This announcement marks the return of Madrid to the F1 calendar, after several Grand Prix organized between the end of the 1960s and 1981.
The president of the Madrid region Isabel Diaz Ayuso expects the event to generate “more than 8,200 jobs” and “more than 450 million euros” in GDP growth for the Madrid community.
F1 nevertheless specifies that “discussions continue” with Barcelona – scene of the Spanish GP since 1991 – not excluding the idea of two Grands Prix on Spanish soil in the coming years, as was the case for example between 2008 and 2012, when the streets of Valencia hosted the European GP.
“Discussions are underway to see if we can really extend our collaboration with Barcelona, with whom we have a very good relationship, for the future,” said Stefano Domenicali.
At the end of 2021, the promoter of the World Championship announced the extension of the contract with the Barcelona-Catalonia circuit in Montmelo until the end of 2026, a deadline which was not mentioned on Tuesday in the F1 press release.