Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix will shift from Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to a new circuit to be constructed in Madrid. The new race will be held from 2026 through to 2035 and be built around the IFEMA exhibition center and include street and non-street sections.
The new circuit will be located just five minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport, have 20 corners, and take approximately 1 minute and 32 seconds to complete a lap of. Formula 1 says it will initially have the capacity to host more than 110,000 visitors per day but there are plans to expand this to 140,000 per day over the first half of the agreement.
The sport expects the event to generate €450 million to the city’s economy each year and will include fan activation events in Downtown Madrid.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” president and chief executive of Formula 1 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 epitomizes 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.”
Organizers of the new Spanish Grand Prix will use 100% certified renewable energy across all exhibition halls and all temporary structures will be constructed using recyclable materials.
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Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been hosting the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991 but the Spanish Grand Prix itself dates back to 1913 and has been a regular part of the Formula 1 World Championship since 1968.
“It is with great satisfaction that we announce Formula 1 is coming to the Community of Madrid, to a region and a capital that inspires openness and confidence within and beyond our borders. We are the main engine of Spain’s prosperity and progress,” the president of the Region of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso said. “This event, which we expect to be followed on a global scale by 70 million people, will represent an increase of more than 450 million euros in Madrid’s GDP per year and the creation of 8,200 jobs.”