Organisers at the Madring, which will host the Spanish Grand Prix from next season have released an onboard simulation of the new street track.

In January last year it was announced that Madrid had signed a ten-year deal beginning in 2026, following an agreement with IFEMA Madrid.

Located five minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport, the proposed 5.47km circuit, and which features 20 corners, and "the longest banked curve" on the calendar, is built around the IFEMA exhibition centre.

The circuit is intended to be one of the most accessible on the F1 calendar, with the track just a short commute away by Metro, train, and city lines. Indeed, it is estimated that 90% of fans will be able to travel to the paddock via public transport, while fans staying in local accommodation will be a short walk away.

IFEMA Madrid has awarded construction contract to a joint venture formed by ACCIONA (60%) and Eiffage Construction (40%), who will be in charge of the project which gets underway this month and is expected to be completed by May 2026.

The project, works, initially tendered with a base budget of €111m, has been awarded to the aforementioned joint venture for €83.2m. The contract includes not only the construction of the circuit, but also the installation and subsequent dismantling of temporary structures, as well as the restoration of public roads to their original state following each Grand Prix.

Designed in accordance with FIA Grade 1 homologation standards, the circuit's 5.47kms iis made up of 4,100 metres of which will run through IFEMA MADRID's grounds, with the remaining 1,300 metres on public roads.

This layout is intended to make the most of the existing infrastructure while minimising the impact on the fairground's day-to-day operations and local traffic.

Officials are keen to make clear that the video is a preliminary rendering and that some elements may change in the final design.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by rdcas, 29/04/2025 10:11

"What completely baffles me is why not using the existing Jarama circuit? I know the track is considered to be too narrow for modern F1 cars, but given the surrounding settings I'm sure that something that can be addressed. If this computer simulation is anything to go by, the track through IFEMA fair grounds seems much narrower than Jarama's. I love Jarama, I've driven there a number of times in club days and it's hugely entertaining, has (in its 1991 shape) multiple sections (Bugatti to Portago Section, Main Straight, around Pegaso ramp) that allow for overtaking, and the combined Farina/Le Mans/Varzi/Fangio 'esses' are a real hoot to attack. It was designed by no other than John Hugenholtz (who also designed Suzuka, Zolder and the Hockenheimring's Motodrom section among others). I know IFEMA has plenty of cash to splash into this, and plenty of cash to farm out too of this monstrosity, but wouldn't be nice to return to the place where Gilles Villeneuve scored his final F1 win? There's a good article about Jarama at Motorsport https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/jarama-heroics-the-moments-of-brilliance-when-f1-last-raced-in-madrid/ "

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2. Posted by Tom2681, 27/04/2025 11:48

"Thanks, I hate it."

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3. Posted by Spindoctor, 26/04/2025 11:19

"Give it a few years & after Liberty has "partnered" with Indy\Cart etc. F1 will be running on "Ovals" in USA, with the non USA races taking-place on tracks like this nonsensical effort.

AS @Kenji points-out there are many pretty decent tracks out there, but they don't meet Liberty's criteria for maximising financial returns"

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4. Posted by kenji, 26/04/2025 5:24

"Why are people surprised? This is what 'Instant [ gratification ] F1' looks like. The demand for large tracts of land close to satisfactory support services needed for contemporary track development/ racing entertainment is so expensive that it is in most cases ruled out. Hundreds of millions $$$ are hard to come by unless you have access to Fort Knox like hoards or else an endless supply of semi liquid hydro carbons! I don't see any alternative other than reverting to unused and dilapidated dedicated circuits that don't meet the standards of accepted racing criteria.

Circuits like South Korea, India, Turkey and Russia/Sochi/Vietnam are there but there are no takers. Never mind the unused European circuits of old that can be added. Times have changed and any reversion is highly unlikely so one needs to accept, reluctantly, the status quo and just hope that the competition is fast and furious. There doesn't appear to be any viable alternative, which is a crying shame. The only redeeming feature of Madrid is the banked curve which is rather unique in todays track iterations. That will be awesome to drive....."

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5. Posted by Max Noble, 26/04/2025 4:10

"Well… at least we will have no track limit violations as the walls are everywhere! The old pool table in our local pub had more elevation changes than this circuit! …plus to me it looked narrow. In my mind I didn’t spot a single corner where a cheeky “send it!” Up the inside would have been a success… Also lovely to see a banked corner to calm the nerves of the millions of NASCAR fans flocking to F1 right now…"

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6. Posted by KKK, 25/04/2025 18:34

"May as wellcsrage a race in a warehouse. It's not f1, it's just like scalextric, change a corner, put a chicane there. "

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7. Posted by Celtic Tiger, 25/04/2025 14:49

"Add one part Jeddah, one part Sochi, shake gently and finish with just a squeeze of Zandvoort and enjoy one luke warm cup of ********.
Looks like this business model is here to stay of basically refurbishing a street since its cheaper and faster than building a proper circuit. So sick of it. Every time I see one of these I think back on all those great circuits that have dropped in grade and been forgotten by the top flight of motorsport. Would rather see those get the money to boost them to a grade 1 venue than this sh*te. "

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8. Posted by SF 158, 25/04/2025 13:44

"It used to be called "road racing," but so many tracks today are just upsized go-kart tracks with concrete walls. I guess that's great for 'entertainment' and 'safety,' but maybe not for much else except that today's drivers can easily relate to such layouts.

I did like Madring's banked corner, though!"

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9. Posted by Editor, 25/04/2025 13:21

"@ rambler

Turn down the brightness and it's basically Jeddah."

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10. Posted by rambler, 25/04/2025 13:07

"Parts of this could be any other race between the walls. I was bored half way through. If you go to this holiday park, and sit in a stand how much of the track are you going to see maybe a hundred metres? Why oh Why do we have to have these full size "Hotwheel" tracks !! What is wrong with proper race courses. You know the type, they have history, views across the course that let you see the cars coming. Spain has two!!! "

A lap of the Madring

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