F1 reportedly set to move Spanish GP from Barcelona to Madrid in 2026

The Spanish GP has been taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya for several years.

F1 reportedly set to move Spanish GP from Barcelona to Madrid in 2026

F1 (Credits: Planet F1)

Formula 1 has seen a massive surge in its popularity in the last few years. In keeping up with the demand, several new circuits have recently surfaced on the racing calendar, and amidst the ever-growing interest, it has come to light that the Spanish GP will reportedly be conducted in Madrid from 2026.

Currently, the historic event takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya but from 2026 onward, it will be seen taking place in Madrid in the form of a street race. In 2026, the Spanish GP will return to Madrid after several decades as the last F1 event that took place there was back in 1981.

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The announcement regarding the shifting of the event was supposed to take last Thursday but as per GRANMADRID, the official statement is expected to come out from the F1 headquarters in London very shortly. However, if this does not happen to be the case, it will most probably be announced next week.

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The new upcoming project is designed around Ifema and some time back, when its president, José Vicente de los Mozos was relentlessly pushing for it to become a reality, it seemed more like a utopia. Moreover, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the president of the Community, and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, have also supported the initiative from the first moment.

The economic impact of Madrid hosting the Spanish GP is estimated to be around 500 Million

While all the documents around making the Spanish GP a reality in Madrid are ready, it has been estimated that the economic impact of it on the city will be around 500 million euros each year the event is hosted. The event will take place in Madrid from 2026 onward for 10 consecutive years.

Formula 1 (Credits: Mercedes AMG PETRONAS)
Formula 1 (Credits: Mercedes AMG PETRONAS)

when it comes to the construction that is required to make the Madrid race doable, it is believed that 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 5 km long circuit will revolve around pavilions of the fairgrounds, with the starting line in front of the façade of the main building.

After this, the circuit will cross 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. Considering everything, it is safe to assume that immense work is ahead of the Spanish GP organizers.

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