This week, Formula 1 confirmed Madrid would be joining the race calendar from 2026 on a 10-season deal, bringing into question the future of the current Spanish race in Barcelona.
The country’s capital is set to be the next exciting addition, although the announcement hasn’t been received well by all fans, with some claiming the circuit lacks creativity. Discussions are understood to be underway to determine if the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will also remain on the calendar.
The Spanish GP has always divided fans, with a common opinion being the circuit lacks overtaking opportunities and spectator thrills. Having two prominent Spanish drivers on the grid has increased the buzz around events in their home country, meaning two Spanish races wouldn’t be entirely out of the question.
In the 2023 season, Carlos Sainz demonstrated rapid improvement, being the only driver outside of the Red Bull garage to bring home a GP win. His childhood hero Fernando Alonso has been an icon to Spanish fans since joining the grid in 2001, so it would be understandable if organisers optimised the fact both Spaniards are still part of the driver lineup.
From 2026, Madrid will host the event around the IFEMA exhibition centre to grow its capacity from 110,000 upon opening to eventually 140,000 in the first five years. The plans for the racetrack span 3.4 miles, offer 20 corners and will incorporate both street and non-street elements at the venue.
Located just 10 miles from the centre of Madrid and on the doorstep of the city’s airport it will tick a few more of those sustainability boxes 2026 will heavily revolve around. In 2019, Formula 1 launched its first sustainability strategy, detailing plans for a greener future for motorsport and the proximity to the airport demonstrates the enhanced focus on this issue alongside fan experience.
Such easy accessibility to the venue via public transport will encourage more sustainable modes of travel across the weekend as well.
The desire to have race circuits closer to capital cities with a dense tourist population has been apparent in recent years with Formula E attempting to harness this demand by racing in venues around cities such as London and Berlin. Since the addition of Baku in 2016, street circuits have overtaken the F1 calendar to cater to new fans, most notably American ones.
It is clear the sport or in this case, the business of F1 has grown exponentially in Arabic and American locations in recent years, with Jeddah (2021), Miami (2022) and Vegas (2023) all being street tracks that have proved popular with both celebrities and fans who are new to the sport.
Fans who prefer the more traditional side of F1 appeared disappointed at the prospect of Madrid replacing Barcelona as despite the criticism it receives, would mean losing yet another European track. Rewind to the ‘glory’ days of racing and classic venues such as the Nürburgring were more permanent facilities that occupied a special place in the world of motorsport.
Also Read: Diego Maradona: The Rise of Football Star
Even Monaco, which remains on the calendar for now, often faces similar claims that its layout doesn’t provide enough excitement. Yet the beauty of what makes the Monegasque weekend work is the iconic history of the streets the drivers are racing in and how synonymous the backdrop has become with luxury and motorsport.
Essentially, the main issue with adding new street circuits is they lack the rich background so many of the classic F1 tracks possess. Focusing on the spectacle of the weekend may attract new fans and boost tourism, but unfortunately, it is a far cry from what many would prefer to focus on, the sporting event itself.
Where Madrid has the opportunity to differ from this is that it isn’t a newcomer, the city is returning to F1 after nearly forty years, so let’s hope the weekend manages to capture the magic of Formula 1 for many more years to come.
Image Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool