From 2026, Madrid will host the Spanish Grand Prix; Barcelona’s future is unclear.
Formula One announced on Tuesday that Madrid will host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 to 2035 on a new street circuit around the capital’s IFEMA exposition center. This revelation left Barcelona in the dark about their future.
The Circuit de Catalunya’s current contract ends after the event in 2026, but Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of Formula One, hinted that the Barcelona circuit would stay on the schedule after that.
During an opulent presentation, he declared, “The fact we are in Madrid does not exclude the idea that we could stay in Barcelona for the future.”
“Going forward, talks are underway to determine whether we can truly continue our excellent working relationship with Barcelona into the future.”
Two races could exist in Spain in 2026, according to sources.
Two Formula One drivers currently competing in the nation are Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, a quadruple world champion who finished on the podium frequently last season despite being 42 years old, of Aston Martin.
Sainz was present when Domenicali announced that the Madrid contract opened up “an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain.”
The Italian continued, “A few years ago, Spain was not at the forefront of our concerns as a market.” “It is crucial right now.”
He claimed that the race concept embodied the sport’s goal of providing “a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for spectators and embraces innovation and sustainability.”
The Spanish race moved to Barcelona in 1991, with Madrid’s last grand prix held in Jarama, north of the city, in 1981.
Domenicali claimed that the Madrid agreement further demonstrated Europe’s continued willingness to finance the sport during a period of expansion in new locations across the Americas—three races are being held in the United States—and the Middle East.
“It’s an exciting prospect to watch modern Formula One cars race on a new circuit in Madrid, the capital of Spain,” the governing FIA’s president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated in a statement.
“It is encouraging to see that the local organizers have given environmental sustainability a strong priority in their plans for the event, especially as we approach the implementation of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with net zero carbon by 2030.”
The proposed 5.47-kilometer circuit, which would include both street and non-street elements, still needs to pass safety inspections and FIA homologation procedures before the World Motor Sport Council can approve the schedule.
Twenty corners will be included in the layout, which is close to the Barajas airport in the city and where 90% of attendees are anticipated to arrive by public transportation.
Madrid is one of the biggest venues on the schedule, with a planned capacity of over 110,000 spectators per day and intentions to grow that to 140,000 throughout the first half of the agreement.
