The Madrid City and Regional Governments are expecting the results of the bid to host the 2026 Spanish Gran Prix.
The current proposals are to host the Formula 1 race in the Spanish capital from 2026 until 2035 on a course laid out around the IFEMA convention centre and Valdebebas including parts of the course inside the IFEMA halls.
The five-kilometre circuit would be based around the IFEMA pavilion complex which would also have the start-finish straights and the site of the race paddock complex.
It would also use some existing streets, including the M-11 motorway, to loop alongside football club Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex and through the former grounds of the Mad Cool music festival.
The plans have received support from the city and community councils of Madrid, although the race has sought external investors so it can be fully funded with private money.
Motorsport.com understands Fernando Alonso’s former manager Luis Garcia Abad is one of the key figures behind the deal.
Spain’s current grand prix in Barcelona holds a valid contract until 2026, so if Madrid’s plans go ahead F1 would host two races in the country that season, in which case the new race could be provisionally labelled the Madrid Grand Prix.
The trademarks ‘Formula 1 Madrid Grand Prix’ and ‘Madrid Grand Prix’ were registered in March this year.
But with European slots on the F1 calendar limited, Madrid’s impeding arrival looks set to put increased pressure on Barcelona’s long-term future.
“You can never say never in life, of course, but two races in Spain is very complicated,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said when talks over a race in Madrid got underway.
“There is great interest [from Madrid], but it is also true that we are focused at the moment on Barcelona, which has a contract, and the relationship is strong.”
Spain last held two races in Spain between 2008 and 2012 with the European Grand Prix in Valencia complementing the Barcelona race.
Valencia dropped out of bidding for future races due to costs – with an estimated black hole of 200 million Euros.
Madrid´s bid envisages that the capital would benefir by some 500 million Euros with over 100,000 spectatos.
2023 saw record one day attendance of 125,565 spectators at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.