Madrid to host the Spanish F1 Grand Prix from 2026 to 2035

Madrid will host the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix starting in 2026, in a semi-urban circuit in the surroundings of IFEMA, as announced this Tuesday in a ceremony attended by the Italian Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1; and the Spanish José Vicente de los Mozos, president of the aforementioned Trade Fair Institution of the Spanish capital.

The Spanish Grand Prix – which this year and next year will still take place in Montmeló (Barcelona) – will be held at the IFEMA circuit, in principle, from 2026 to 2035, as reported at the event, which was also attended by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid; José Luis Martínez Almeida, mayor of Madrid; and Angel Asensio, president of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce.

The new track -with urban and non-urban sectors-, still subject to FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) homologation, will be almost five and a half kilometers long (5,470 meters) and have 20 turns. And the estimated lap time in qualifying will be approximately one minute and 32 seconds.

An initial capacity of some 110,000 spectators per day is foreseen, between stands and VIP areas, for an event that aims to be inclusive and reach fans of any purchasing power. According to the organization, already in the first half of the agreement – initially planned for ten years – it is expected to expand the capacity of the venue to a total of 140,000 fans, which would make the Madrid Grand Prix one of the busiest on the calendar.

To date, Madrid had hosted nine times, as the Spanish Grand Prix, a Formula One World Championship race, all of them at the Jarama circuit: the first one in 1968, with the triumph of the English Graham Hill; and the last one in 1981, when the Canadian Gilles Villeneuve won. Therefore, with the confirmation that the Spanish capital will host a Formula One Grand Prix in 2026, F1 will return to Madrid 45 years later.