The most awaited and rumored news of this winter break has finally arrived: Formula 1 will contest a GP in Madrid from 2026 until 2035. With the presentation event, held at IFEMA, the announcement officially arrived that the capital of Spain will have the opportunity to host a new GP in Formula 1. Still to be understood, however, is Barcelona's position which will have the contract expiring in 2026, the date on which the Montmeló it should be replaced by the Madrid GP.
The Madrid GP on the Formula 1 calendar is official
The new Madrid circuit will be near the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport. It will have 20 corners, spread across 5,47km, with an expected qualifying lap of 1 minute and 32 seconds. The new facility will be built around the IFEMA center and will also include a new premium paddock area with a new tower and office space, VIP hospitality and entertainment areas.
The venue will be able to accommodate more than 110.000 fans per day across stands, general admissions and VIPs but is targeting 140.000 people in the first half of the deal. One of the strong points for F1 and the organizers is accessibility. In fact, the press release states that the circuit will be easily accessible by public transport. Great attention also to the theme of sustainability with the support of IFEMA MADRID which uses 100% certified renewable energy in all exhibition pavilions.
With this change, which arrived with great fanfare from the organizers (who had been there for a few months looking for an agreement finally found), Stefano's words were not lacking Sundays, CEO of Formula 1, who explained Madrid's entry into the calendar thus: “Madrid is an incredible city with an extraordinary sporting and cultural heritage and today's announcement kicks off an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain. I would like to thank the IFEMA MADRID team, the regional government of Madrid and the mayor of the city for putting together a fantastic proposal. It truly embodies Formula 1's vision of creating a multi-day sports and entertainment spectacle that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability."
De los Mozos: “Excited to announce Madrid's return”
In addition to Domenicali, it was he who intervened José Vicente de los Mozos, the president of the IFEMA exhibition consortium: “Our dream of hosting a major F1 event around IFEMA MADRID has come true. We are thrilled to announce the return of F1 to Madrid after more than four decades. We have the ambition to organize a Grand Prix that becomes a point of reference in the global F1 calendar, specifically conceived and designed to offer a unique and distinctive experience for both fans and teams participating in the competition. With this objective, Madrid wants to dive deep into the development of a new concept that combines sport and entertainment, offering a memorable event."
Source of statements: F1 Media
