Start your engines: Date finally announced for Madrid Grand Prix
In 2026, Spain will host not one, but two Formula 1 races at tracks in Madrid and Barcelona
It’s official: next September, the F1 Grand Prix will return to the Spanish capital, debuting in Madrid during the 2026 race calendar for the first time since 1981. Spanish racing fans will be spoilt for choice since this country will host not one, but two Formula 1 fixtures, just a couple of months apart.
After years of negotiation and preparation, the 2026 F1 Grand Prix will speed around the IFEMA street circuit in Madrid on September 6. Before this, in June, the drivers will head to Barcelona and attempt to beat Max Verstappen’s 2024 win.
Work will begin on the IFEMA track between April and May this year and will include a new car park to accommodate around 10,000 vehicles. The circuit itself has been designed to combine sport and spectacle with the aim of making Madrid a benchmark on the international calendar.
The 5.474 kilometre long track will comprise 20 bends, a qualifying lap of 1 minute and 32 seconds and a maximum speed of 300 km/h (the average will be 218 km/h).
The route will use the roads of IFEMA MADRID, both the current fairgrounds and the future roads of the Valdebebas site, as well as 1.5 kilometres of public roads. The project will benefit from exceptional facilities never before seen at a Grand Prix: more than 200,000 m2 of covered pavilions; 10,000 metres of multi-purpose meeting spaces and 10,000 parking spaces.
All the infrastructures are equipped with the latest technology and advanced security, communication and air-conditioning systems that will make it possible to raise the standards of the experience for both drivers and passionate Formula 1 fans.
The return of F1 to Madrid will take effect in 2026, and will extend over a period of ten years, until 2035. IFEMA predicts the arrival of 110,000 spectators in the first year, a figure it predicts will exceed 140,000 in the fifth year.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain,” said Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
Image: IFEMA
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