Madrid has snatched the hosting rights for Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix away from Barcelona, signalling an uncertain future for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in F1.
A 10-year deal, beginning in 2026, was announced on Wednesday by F1 with the new venue to be a combination of street and purpose-built track — similar to Melbourne’s Albert Park.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991, but it will now be held around the IFEMA Madrid.
IFEMA Madrid is a consortium formed by the Community of Madrid, the Madrid City Council, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Montemadrid Foundation.
Its headquarters, which serves as a location for fairs and events, will be the site of the newest track on the F1 calendar.
The new track is expected to be 5.47 kilometres long with 20 corners.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali hailed the change to Madrid as a new beginning for the category in the motorsport-rich nation.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” he said in a statement.
The future of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in F1 is now up in the air, with only two more grands prix (2024 and 2025) slated for the track.
Domenicali has not ruled out Barcelona continuing to host F1 races, just not under the guise of the Spanish Grand Prix.
“For the avoidance of doubt and to clarify here, the fact we are in Madrid is not excluding the fact we could stay in Barcelona for the future,” he told F1.com.
“Looking ahead, there are discussions in place to see if we can really extend our collaboration with Barcelona, with whom we have a very good relationship, for the future.”
F1 says it anticipates 90 per cent of fans who attend will access the circuit by public transport, a major drawcard according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“Modern Formula 1 cars racing on a new circuit in the Spanish capital city of Madrid is an enticing prospect,” he said in a statement.
“As we build towards the introduction of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with Net Zero carbon by 2030 in mind, it is pleasing to see that the local organisers have placed a sharp focus on environmental sustainability in their plans for the event.”
This year’s Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona will be held on Sunday, June 23.
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