Formula 1’s newest venue is taking shape in Madrid, with the so-called Madring set to host its first Spanish Grand Prix in September after a 45-year absence from the capital.
The circuit is built at the IFEMA fairgrounds near Barajas International Airport, where Madrid earned a 10-year deal to take over hosting rights from Barcelona.
Select media were recently given access to the 5.4km construction site during a glitzy opening ceremony that featured regional dignitaries and race ambassador Carlos Sainz.
The centrepiece of the entire layout is the Monumental, a banked corner featuring the maximum permitted 24% inclination that draws a 270-degree arc around the northern end of the circuit.
Stretching 550 metres, the Monumental is significantly longer than Zandvoort’s famous banked final turn, and features a constantly evolving 3D geometry rather than a consistent gradient throughout.
“I probably need a simulator to give you exact feelings and details of how it will feel, but I can already tell you it looks impressive, because we are going to be entering that corner at a very high speed already, around 280km/h,” said Sainz.
“My feeling is the corner is going to be flat out and it is going to create an overtaking opportunity in the next tight left,” Sainz added, noting that the banking would allow drivers to vary their line to find slipstream or clean air.
Sainz, who will have his own grandstand at the event, was also pleased that circuit organisers built a track with real character rather than a generic modern layout.
“What I asked the manager of the Madrid circuit was to make a circuit with character, with charisma,” said Sainz, “and not to fall into the trap of making circuits, I’m not going to give names, that the drivers did not contribute to much.”
The circuit is split into two visually distinct sections, with a purpose-built 2.2km northern arena offering wide, fast corners built on what was formerly a festival ground.
The southern section, running through the IFEMA fairground itself, delivers a more traditional street circuit feel, with 90-degree corners, limited runoff, and a long straight offering overtaking opportunities into a tight chicane.
“I have never seen a track that has an urban feel and then suddenly you go through a crest and it opens up into a massive, open, more flowing area,” Sainz said, describing the combination as genuinely exciting.
IFEMA COO Carlos Jimenez confirmed that the split nature of the circuit will also define the spectator experience, with more than 60% of the 110,000 total capacity situated in the northern section.
“It’s a more traditional experience in the north, and a more VIP experience in the south,” said Jimenez, adding that grandstands and fan zones in the north would accommodate just over 60% of attendees.
One of the Madring’s most distinctive selling points is its integration with Madrid’s public transport network, with commuter trains serving the northern Valdebebas section and a metro stop adjacent to the main paddock.
“The connection, the experience for the fans to reach the circuit, we think it’s going to make a difference,” Jimenez said, stressing that the quality of experience inside the venue would need to encourage fans to stay rather than return to the city centre.
Event director Luis Garcia Abad, formerly Fernando Alonso’s manager, said the project was built around understanding what fans actually want from a grand prix weekend.
“The first thing that we did was to organise a survey,” said Abad. “What are our customers, our fans, looking for? They are looking for an experience with security, with the right access, no traffic jams, a nice city, nice weather. So we have been answering all these questions and we deliver the Madrid experience.”
The project has not been without controversy, with legal challenges from local residents and a group of protesters visible during the opening ceremony holding ‘Stop Formula 1’ signs outside the fence.
Abad acknowledged the opposition but defended the project’s value, noting that surrounding real estate prices are rising and new hotels are opening in the area as a direct result of the grand prix coming to the city.
Jimenez was candid about the likelihood of teething problems in year one, but expressed confidence that IFEMA’s experience running over 100 major events annually would help the organisation adapt quickly.
“Obviously, we want to deliver the best possible experience, but there will be many lessons to learn from year one to year two,” Jimenez acknowledged, adding that the team had studied other grands prix carefully to identify repeating patterns of success and areas for improvement.