Madrid Continues Preparation for Hosting F1 Race in 2026
Madrid is continuing its preparations to host an F1 race. The Spanish capital will enter the world championship calendar next year. According to city officials, the work is on schedule with no delays expected. The date for the inaugural race on the new track is still unknown.
Last year, it was announced that Madrid would join the F1 calendar in the 2026 season. The race will be held on a hybrid track that passes by the IFEMA center. The plan is for the track to include both street and permanent sections and to be about 5.5 km long. Madrid has signed a contract with F1 until 2035 and will take over the hosting of the Spanish Grand Prix from Barcelona.
The city government and the race organizers aim to begin work in early April. In addition to the track, other facilities must be built to meet F1’s rigorous requirements.
To date, five bids have been submitted—two from construction companies and three from business conglomerates. Some of them will lead the construction of the necessary infrastructure.
The deadline for completing the construction work is 14 months. The first edition of the race is expected to take place in September next year. Therefore, a later start may not be a major issue, as existing roads will also be used.
Yesterday, the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, spoke about the issue to Europa Press. He called for “calm” and insisted that the race “will be held and will be very successful.”
“We are convinced that the work will begin in the second third of this year. We are almost ready for the hosting of the F1 Grand Prix next year. That’s why we need to have the track and all the infrastructure ready,” shared Martínez-Almeida.
Hosting an F1 round is an extremely expensive venture. Hence, the question arose as to who would finance the entire event. According to the Mayor of Madrid, no public funds will be spent on the race. Therefore, financing must come from private companies and investors.
Martínez-Almeida also took a jab at the current host of the Spanish Grand Prix—Barcelona. The organizers of that race receive a huge sum from the authorities in Catalonia. It’s no secret that the autonomous region seeks independence and is not in good relations with the authorities in the capital.
The Mayor of Madrid stated that the Spanish government has provided €70 million for the “America’s Cup” in Barcelona, and that Catalan institutions have spent €50 million on the F1 start.
Barcelona has a contract with Liberty until the end of 2026. Thus, there is a high likelihood of two starts in Spain next year. Afterward, the race may be held on a rotational basis with the one in Belgium. The Spa event will not be in the calendar in 2028 and 2030. This slot could be taken by Barcelona or another European start like Imola.
