Madrid will replace Barcelona as host of the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026, putting the future of the current venue at risk in the Formula One calendar.
Formula 1 announced on Tuesday that the new 3.399-mile circuit will be located around the Ifema conference center northeast of the capital and will consist of a street section and a dedicated section of 20 corners.
The sport has a long-term deal to stage races in Madrid until 2035, with the track opening to accommodate 110,000 spectators and expected to be expanded to accommodate 140,000 fans, making it one of the largest currently Venues on calendar.
F1’s statement announcing the race also included a commitment to making the event one of the most sustainable on the calendar, with the sport setting a target of net-zero emissions by 2030. The track is just five minutes from Barajas International Airport and is accessible by train and metro, with the sports community estimating that 90% of fans can access the event by public transportation.
F1 said discussions were ongoing with Barcelona, whose contract expires in 2026, about its future and the potential for Spain to host two races.
“For the avoidance of doubt and to clarify here, the fact that we are in Madrid does not exclude the fact that we can stay in Barcelona in the future,” F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said. “Going forward, we are discussing whether we can actually expand our relationship with Barcelona. We have a very good relationship with Barcelona.”
F1 is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Spain, represented by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and two-time race winner Carlos Sainz. In 2023, the average TV audience per game in Spain was 3.5 million, an increase of 84% on the previous year.
The first Spanish Grand Prix was held in 1913, and Madrid last hosted the race in 1981 at the Jarrama Circuit, 20 miles north of the city. The event was held in Jerez, Andalusia from 1986 to 1990, and has been a permanent fixture at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalonia ever since.
Domenicali said long-term deals were the sport’s preferred contract with event organizers in the future, noting that while the most recent additions were in the United States and the Middle East, this proved that Europe remains an important and very popular The market for F1.
“This is great news for Formula 1 because it once again shows that there is strong interest in the sport around the world,” Domenicali said. “It shows that at a moment when Europe is not considered ready to invest in the sport, Madrid and other countries have shown that.”
