Formula One racing will return to Madrid for the first time since 1986 when the capital will stage the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026.
F1 President Stefano Domenicali made the annoucement earlier this week for the 10-year deal that will bring the series back to the Madrid region until 2035.
The Madrid circuit, subject to approval from the FIA, will include street and non-street sections around the IFEMA exhibition centre on a hybrid track that will include a banked turn and potential indoor sections as well as F1’s first indoor paddock .circuit on a hybrid track that will include a banked turn and potential indoor sections
The current Spanish Gran Prix is in Barcelona with a contract that ends in 2026, but Domenicali said the race in Catalonia could remain on the calendar.
“The fact we are in Madrid is not excluding the fact we could stay in Barcelona for the future,” he said. “There are discussions in place to see if we can really extend our collaboration with Barcelona, with whom we have a very good relationship.”
The Madrid circuit, subject to approval from the FIA, will include street and non-street sections around the city exhibition center, as well as F1’s first indoor paddock.
Track designer Jarno Zaffelli said they were still working on the track. He could not comment on possible changes to the design announced on Tuesday, including racing through pavilions in the exhibition center. That was not in the current proposed layout.
The new 3.3-mile circuit, which won’t go near the city’s main tourist attractions, is expected to feature 20 corners, two tunnels and four passing zones. The F1 cars are expected to reach a top speed of 186 mph. The qualifying lap is expected to be 1:32.
The circuit will also include a paddock building, a new race tower, office spaces, VIP hospitality and entertainment areas.
The project will be organized by IFEMA, the leading fair operator in Spain, and will not involve public financing.
F1 said the venue was projected to have capacity for more than 110,000 fans per day across grandstand, general admission and VIP hospitality. There were also plans to grow the circuit capacity to 140,000 per day over the first half of the contract, “making Madrid one of the largest venues on the F1 calendar.”
The new track is about five minutes from the Madrid airport, near a main metro station, and will have easy access by buses. F1 said the Spanish GP will become “one of the most accessible races on the F1 calendar,” with nearly 90% of fans able to travel to the track via public transportation.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” Domenicali said. “It truly epitomises Formula One’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.”
The last F1 race in the Madrid region was in 1986 at the Jarama circuit. The Jerez de la Frontera track in southern Spain hosted races from 1986-90, and in 1994 and 1997.
The country also hosted the European Grand Prix on a street circuit in Valencia from 2008-12.