FIA plays down the Madrid F1 project, insists it still lacks certain key steps
If the Madrid F1 project becomes a reality then it will start hosting races from 2026 onwards.
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FIA (Credits: Planet F1)
The Madrid F1 project has become the talk of the town in recent times. There is immense hype around the project and it has come to light that the Spanish GP could take place in Madrid from 2026 onward. However, the FIA has played down things and has admitted that the Madrid project is still lacking in some areas.
As per the latest, a plan has been put in place for a race to take place around the famous IFEMA convention center in the northeast of the city, close to its Madrid-Barajas International Airport. While this has got the whole motorsport world talking, FIA has confirmed that the Madrid project is still far from becoming a reality.
The FIA President of the Senate, Carmelo Sanz de Barros, who is also President of the Spanish Automobile Federation (Real Automóvil Club de España) talked about the potential of their Madrid project.
There is a clear process to have a Grand Prix in a place, and I don’t think that the process is being followed based on what you read. The Spanish Automobile Federation is where the process starts because whenever there is a new competition that wants to happen in a country, you have to go to them. So, the Spanish Federation they have not seen it. This special step has not happened yet.
President of the Spanish Automobile Federation said, as reported by Motorsport.com
Looking at the reaction, it is clear that the Madrid project still needs to clear quite a few hurdles.
The Madrid F1 race will be a semi-urban street event
While several things are still required to be done in order to make the F1 Madrid project a reality, it is believed that the event will be created in the form of a street race. Moreover, the investment to build the runway, with sections that will be permanent and other temporary, is budgeted to be a whopping around 100 million euros.
The circuit will also be seen crossing the M-11 towards Valdebebas, which will circulate parallel to the Real Madrid Sports City and then, will go through the land where the Mad Cool festival has been located for several years, to return to the pavilions. While all this has been planned, the Madrid project still has to get the green light from the FIA.
The governing body of the pinnacle of motor racing is incredibly strict around certain things, and if the Madrid project is not able to meet the minimum requirements, then there would be every chance that the iconic Spanish Grand Prix will keep taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)