F1 set for new Madrid Grand Prix as Spanish GP in Barcelona under huge threat
Madrid looks set to snatch Formula 1[1] from Barcelona as a new street circuit in the Spanish capital edges closer to approval.
F1 has raced at the Circuit de Catalunya every year since 1986 and will continue to do so under the Spanish Grand Prix[2] name until at least 2026. But that is the year that the sport could visit the capital for a new street event.
A new circuit is planned close to Madrid's Barajas international airport. The track is next to Real Madrid's Valdebebas training complex and encompasses the IFEMA convention centre which this year hosted the F1 Exhibition.
The M-11 motorway which runs between IFEMA and the Alfredo di Stefano stadium is set to be used as part of the new track, along with several other roads that already exist.
F1 chiefs give Max Verstappen six new opportunities to complain as more changes planned[3]
Ferrari have made their Charles Leclerc decision - it's time for Carlos Sainz to get out[4]
It is understood talks are nearing completion over potential approval of the circuit and of the overall plan to race in Madrid. If the final green light is given, a debut is planned in 2026 with a 10-year initial run.
The current Spanish Grand Prix, held in Barcelona, has a contract up to and including that same year. So, given approval, the 2026 calendar will feature two separate races held in Spain for the first time since Valencia hosted the 2012 European Grand Prix.
But that is not an arrangement that is likely to last for the long term. The introduction of a Madrid race puts the existing Grand Prix in Barcelona and the Circuit de Catalunya's place in F1's long-term plans in serious jeopardy.
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F1's race calendar has already reached 24 annual events and chiefs do not plan to go beyond that number in the foreseeable future. With the sport's expansion efforts mostly focussed on global markets, slots for European races are increasingly at a premium.
An increase in F1's popularity in Spain, thanks to having two competitive racers; Fernando Alonso[6] and Carlos Sainz[7] on the grid, means there may be commercial value in having two annual races in the country. But it would be hard to justify removing one of the existing European races to protect Barcelona's place on the schedule.
The 2024 calendar features nine European races, excluding Azerbaijan because its capital Baku, which hosts the event, is in the Asian part of the country. Six more are across North and South America with three of those held in the USA itself, with eight in Asia and the Middle East while Australia[8] brings the total to 24.
References
- ^ Formula 1 (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Spanish Grand Prix (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ F1 chiefs give Max Verstappen six new opportunities to complain as more changes planned (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Ferrari have made their Charles Leclerc decision - it's time for Carlos Sainz to get out (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Learn more (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Fernando Alonso (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Carlos Sainz (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Australia (www.mirror.co.uk)