Everything you need to know about the future Madrid circuit

Formula 1 announced on Tuesday, January 23rd that the Spanish Grand Prix will take place in Madrid from 2026 to 2035, following an agreement with IFEMA Madrid to create a brand new circuit in the Spanish capital, which will consist of both urban and non-urban sections.

The new 5.47-kilometer circuit will feature 20 turns, with a potential qualifying time of about 1:32. Built around the IFEMA exhibition center, the circuit will also include a high-end paddock with a new race tower and office spaces, VIP areas, and entertainment areas.

The venue should have a capacity to accommodate over 110,000 fans per day, with stands, general admission tickets, and VIP areas. There are also plans to increase the circuit’s capacity to 140,000 people per day gradually over the seasons. Additionally, the organizers estimate that 90% of spectators will be able to reach the circuit using public transportation.

Around twenty imaginary designs

The F1 has examined numerous track models since the beginning of discussions with IFEMA and their representatives, resulting in the current proposed layout. From the very first suggestion to where we are now, there have been about 24 track models, but there have also been numerous investigations into sub-models and various details, explained Craig Wilson, Head of Vehicle Performance in F1, who is involved in the track creation process.

We now have a concept with which we are happy to continue development, and we are very excited to see it take shape. The final layout includes just about everything: fast corners and tight chicanes, long straight lines and short accelerations. I think this will be a good challenge for the drivers, he added.

« It’s somewhere between what you would consider a normal urban circuit layout and more towards a permanent circuit style layout,” commented Wilson. « Many places will have a temporary circuit type setup, but there will be other sections that could have slightly different aspects depending on the final implementation decisions to suit the IFEMA site.”

Key areas to keep an eye on

Craig Wilson immediately mentioned, as an area to monitor, the section between turns 7 and 9. This sequence will be quite steep downhill thanks to the uphill after the tunnel from Recinto Ferial, and then the immediate descent from public roads to private roads at Valdebebas.

Furthermore, turn 10 has the possibility of being banked, and discussions are underway on how much we will bank it, what type of banking and profile we will choose, while keeping in mind how we can turn turn 11 and turn 12 into a potential overtaking zone.

The next section, from turn 13 to turn 17, will see the drivers reach a high speed between a set of buildings and stands, creating an ambitious viewpoint for both spectators and TV viewers, according to Wilson.

The construction of the circuit and its approval

The city of Madrid has therefore signed an agreement to join the Formula 1 calendar starting in 2026, and there will be a lot of work to finalize the details of the circuit, to certify it to host Formula 1, and to take into account the usual logistics of the event.

The next steps now involve moving from the concept to the detailed development of the design, and especially going through the submission and approval process of the FIA, as well as all safety evaluations, to obtain a Grade 1 track license, emphasized Wilson.

(D) During construction, he must go through all the inspections, while we have to work with the developers on all the planning, infrastructure, how the stands will be arranged, how the specific layout of the paddock will be, and all our system integration, so this is the beginning of the journey, he concluded.