Madrid recovers Formula 1 forty years later with a Grand Prix that will be called “De España” (the name that Barcelona has had uninterruptedly since 1991 at the Montmeló Circuit) and with a semi-urban layout.
According to the first details provided by Jarno Zafelli, CEO of Dromo, the company that designed the route, it will be a hybrid circuit, half urban and half permanent, around the Ifema fairgrounds. “It is a new circuit concept to combine trend and innovation in one place,” commented Zafelli.
The route, which has yet to receive FIA ??homologation and is subject to the F1 technical regulations of 2026, will have a length of 5.474 km, clockwise (to the right) with 20 curves of 12-15 meters wide, and a turn estimated at 1m32s.
That is, a high-speed profile circuit, with top speeds of 300 km/h, with two very long straights, 1,000 and 1,500 meters long, preceded by two very strong brakes (which will be feasible overtaking points).
Some advanced features are the Valdebebas curve, which will be blind, a twisty area of ??8 curves at the passage of the Ifema tunnel, a 1,500 meter straight, two last 90 degree curves in front of the main building, and a podium designed on the logo from Ifema.
As Zafelli explained, “the design is based on feedback from the drivers, with more banking and fast, safe layouts.”
One of the novelties that its designers boast about is that the paddock – where the teams and drivers are installed – will be completely covered.
The circuit will have a capacity for 110,000 spectators in the stands. According to Ifema estimates, 90% of attendees will be able to travel by public transport.