F1 has announced that the Spanish Grand Prix will be held on Madrid street circuit from 2026 to 2035 marking its return after 42 years.
Formula 1 today confirmed that the Spanish Grand Prix will take place in Madrid from 2026 to 2035 after reaching a deal with IFEMA MADRID for the construction of an entirely new circuit featuring both street and non-street sectors.
This landmark deal aims towards making Formula 1 accessible to a wider audience in Spain with its thrilling track layout and guarantees sustainability and economic benefits to the city of Madrid.
F1 will now be back in the Madrid city, where it was previously held for a total of nine times between 1968 and 1981, with the Spanish GP held in nearby Jarama.
Pending FIA’s approval and final design specifications, the new 5.47-km circuit will consist of 20 turns with a predicted qualifying lap time of 1 minute, 32 seconds.
The circuit will also feature a state-of- the-art Paddock building with a new race tower, office spaces, VIP hospitality and entertainment facilities built around the world-class IFEMA exhibition centre.
More than 110,000 spectators every single day are projected to have the privilege of enjoying the grandstand, regular admission, and VIP treatment at the arena. Additionally, there are intentions to expand the circuit’s capacity to 140,000 per day over the first part of the deal, making Madrid one of the biggest venues on the F1 calendar.
The Spanish Grand Prix is set to be among the easiest-to-access races as it is situated in Madrid and is only five minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport and the circuit is accessible by metro, train and city lines.
Ninety percent of fans are expected to be able to get to the Paddock by public transport, and those who are staying in nearby accommodations will only need to take a brief walk to the venue.
The goal of Formula 1 in conjuction with IFEMA MADRID is to make the Spanish Grand Prix one of the most environmentally friendly races of the season, in line with the former’s commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said.
“I would like to thank the team at IFEMA MADRID, the Regional Government of Madrid and the city’s Mayor for putting together a fantastic proposal.
“It truly epitomises Formula 1’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.”
Sustainable events are at the center of IFEMA MADRID’s aims to significantly reduce its carbon emissions, which have resulted in a 78% reduction over the last five years. Every exhibition hall at an IFEMA MADRID building is powered entirely by renewable energy, and any temporary structures set up for the race event will be made of recyclable materials.
“Our dream of hosting a major F1 event around IFEMA MADRID has come true,” President of the Executive Committee of IFEMA MADRID Jose Vicente de los Mozos said. “We are thrilled to announce the return of F1 to Madrid after more than four decades.
“We have the ambition to organise a Grand Prix that will become a reference in the F1 worldwide calendar, specifically conceptualized and designed to offer a distinctive and unique experience for both fans and teams participating in the competition.
“With this, Madrid wants to deep dive into the development of a new concept that combines sport and entertainment, while delivering a memorable event.”
The Madrid Region and its capital city are regarded as among of the world’s top travel destinations with its rich cultural heritage, historical landmarks, and finest leisure and culinary experiences. Downtown Madrid will feature fan activations along with to the Grand Prix.
There will also be a lot of involvement with nearby companies and educational institutions so as to guarantee that the entire community benefits from the event which is projected to bring in an estimated €450 million to the city’s economy annually.
