Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Madrid

  • F2 – RND 11 – Day 2 & 3

    Sprint Race-

    Miyata had a great start and took the lead before Turn 1 ahead of Fittipaldi. Noel Leon held on to P3 ahead of van Hoepen who, alongside Gabriele Mini and Mari Boya, started on the soft tyres, while the rest chose Hards.

    There were plenty of battles, as Rafael Camara overtook Dino Beganovic for seventh at Turn 5 while Alexander Dunne dived to the inside of Roman Bilinski for P8 at Turn 8.

    The Safety Car was called upon at the end of the lap. Kush Maini and Nico Varrone had contact at Turn 7 which sent the Van Amersfoort Racing driver spinning into the barrier.

    Elsewhere, Sebastian Montoya and John Bennett collided at the opening corner. Both drivers came back into the pitlane, and while the former continued on, the latter retired with damage.

    Racing resumed on Lap 5 of 23, with Dunne looking to make a move. The Rodin Motorsport driver went to the outside of Camara at Turn 5, but his Invicta Racing rival held on.

    The Irishman tried the same move on the next lap but again found the door shut.

    Further ahead, van Hoepen was keen to make his tyre advantage count, and the Trident driver dived to the inside of Leon at Turn 13 but could not make it stick.

    Van Hoepen then dived to the inside of Leon at the Turn 5 chicane on Lap 9. The Campos driver reclaimed the position at Turn 8, but having gone off track, he was told to give the place back to the Trident a couple of laps later.

    Leon was struggling and his teammate Tsolov tried to take advantage with a move past at Turn 1 on Lap 13. He held him off, but their fighting was bringing Martinius Stenshorne, Camara, Dunne and Boya into the mix.

    Fittipaldi had closed to within 1.1s of Miyata, but van Hoepen was almost half a second quicker, as he set the fastest lap of the race.

    Tsolov, having been on the radio calling for Campos to let him go and catch van Hoepen, tried a move at Turn 5. But as he went off the track to get ahead, the Bulgarian gave Leon back the place.

    Unfortunately for the Red Bull Junior, his day was over a few corners later. A slight brush with the wall at Turn 20 spun him into a stoppage, bringing out the Safety Car.

    With Tsolov’s car cleared, Miyata led the field to green on Lap 18, with van Hoepen immediately putting Fittipaldi under pressure.

    The Hitech driver was in good form, having pulled out of a 1.3s lead and set the fastest lap of the race.

    Van Hoepen had DRS and was within 0.3s of Fittipaldi on Lap 20, but the Brazilian was doing well to hold on to P2.
    Miyata however was in a league of his own, driving away from the rest to win by 2.6s – giving Hitech their first victory since the 2025 Baku Sprint Race.

    Feature Race-

    It was a great start from pole for Beganovic, while Dunne retained P2 ahead of Rafael Camara, despite locking up into Turn 1.

    Behind them, Nikola Tsolov, who was the lead driver to start on the hard tyre, was sitting in fifth but coming under pressure from Roman Bilinski.

    The Safety Car was signalled with Kush Maini in the barrier at Turn 8 after a collision with Cian Shields. The AIX Racing driver was given a 10 second time penalty for his part in the incident.

    Racing resumed on Lap 7 with Trident bringing Laurens van Hoepen into the pitlane from P8. Mari Boya and Van Amersfoort Racing duo Nico Varrone and Rafael Villagomez also came in for their mandatory stop.

    Noel Leon then got past Bilinski for P6 at Turn 1, while Gabriele Mini dived to the inside of teammate Oliver Goethe for ninth at Turn 13.

    The Italian attempted the same move on Miyata on Lap 10 but ran too deep, allowing the Hitech driver to retain eighth.

    At the end of the next lap, Leon was the first of the front runners to come into the pitlane. He put on the hard tyre and lost out to Boya, who was flying on the softs, at the exit.
    The Mexican driver then went side-by-side with John Bennett through La Monumental but kept the position.

    Stenshorne and Tsolov were in from P4 and P5 on Lap 14, and while the Rodin driver stayed ahead, the Bulgarian lost out to Boya, although he was able to fire up his soft tyres to overcut Camara.

    Oliver Goethe was next to pit from P8 and came out right in front of Boya and Tsolov, just as they were fighting for position. As they went three-wide into Turn 5, the Campos driver ran off track, but as he filtered out, he lost the place to Camara.

    Boya then made his way past the MP driver at La Monumental, with Camara now sizing up a move on Goethe.
    The two went side-by-side through Turn 1 at the start of Lap 18 but Goethe wound up in the barrier at the exit of Turn 2. This brought out the Safety Car while Camara was give a 10 second time penalty.

    At the same time, Bennett pulled over to the side of the road with an issue with the marshals also having to clear his Trident.

    This stoppage allowed the drivers who had not pitted to come in for their mandatory stop, all gaining an advantage and making up the top six positions ahead of Stenshorne.

    Racing resumed on Lap 22 of 32 as Beganovic started to pull away from Dunne. Mini made a move past Stenshorne for seventh, once again at his favoured Turn 15.

    Camara was keen to get a move on and went past Boya with the help of DRS into Turn 5, while Tsolov followed him through on the next lap.

    The race was now running to time and with just under seven minutes, Dunne brought the gap to Beganovic down to one second, but the Swede responded with the fastest lap to extend the lead to 2.2s.

    Further behind them, Fittipaldi was holding on to P4 as Duerksen put him under pressure. The Paraguayan tried a move at Turn 15, but the AIX driver held on.

    Tsolov then lost P10 to Bilinski, with the DAMS driver using the DRS to get ahead into Turn 5. Duerksen’s pressure on Fittipaldi finally told with Invicta making a neat move on the brakes into Turn 13.

    Tsolov’s day was going from bad to worse as he lost more places to Boya, Leon, van Hoepen and Montoya all overtaking him on the penultimate lap.

    But out in front, Beganovic was in supreme form, winning for the first time this season. Dunne was second ahead of Miyata.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DdOWxs5lO7Z/?stkn=ODc1MmZmemV3MXh5

  • F3 – RND 9 – Day 1

    Practice-

    Jin Nakamura started the Madrid weekend fastest of all for Hitech. The Japanese driver recorded a 1:49.835 in the final minutes of the session to lead compatriot Taito Kato for ART Grand Prix by a tenth.
    Van Amersfoort Racing’s Enzo Deligny completed the top three.

    Kato was the first to set a time in the session, with the ART driver leading an early 1-2-3 for the French team on a 1:52.026.

    The Japanese driver lowered his time to a 1:52.026 which was then bettered by Tuukka Taponen by just 0.037s.

    Kato then returned to the top with 15 minutes to run on a 1:51.567 before title contender Ugochukwu went fastest with a 1:51.192.

    The Campos Racing driver was flying on his next lap as he shaved off over half a second on his next attempt to lead the pack on a 1:50.587 with teammate Ernesto Rivera in P2.

    Championship leader Freddie Slater replied with 20 minutes to go, lowering the benchmark effort to a 1:50.453.

    Pedro Clerot had an earlier time good enough for P3 deleted, but he restored himself to the top three with just over 15 minutes to go with Taponen and then Rodin Motorsport teammate Brando Badoer in the top five.

    Kato then went quickest once again, 0.060s ahead of Slater’s time, before Fionn McLaughlin went just behind Clerot for Hitech in fifth.

    Ugochukwu logged on a 1:50.268 on his next lap to return to the top, before title rival Slater bettered that by just 0.072s.

    Into the final five minutes and Enzo Deligny went to P2 just 0.069s off top spot before the next set of improvements arrived.

    Kato lowered his best to a 1:49.936 to go P1, as Ugochukwu finished 0.064s down on that time in P2, 0.002s ahead of Rivera, with Slater fourth.

    Nakamura then went quickest in the final minute, with Deligny moving himself back to third just as the Red Flag was thrown.
    A crash for Nicola Lacorte in the final seconds brought out the practice to a close, with the DAMS Lucas Oil driver OK after tagging the barriers at the exit of Turn 9.

    Qualifying-

    Qualifying 1
    Kato was the first driver to cross the line and completed a 1:51.127. But no one else could match the ART driver with Alex Powell 0.161s behind in second.

    It was not good news for Trident, with Noah Stromsted’s sidepod coming loose after contact on the warmup lap with Kanato Le, while Slater complained of issues with the car.

    On the second set of laps, Kato improved to a 1:50.547, with Jin Nakamura 0.218s behind in P2.

    The Japanese drivers were demoted a position moments later when Rodin Motorsport’s Clerot went quickest on a 1:50.547.

    In the battle for the title Slater was down in P11. The Championship leader was still complaining of issues with his car.

    Trident brought their driver in and fitted him with a new set of hard tyres, while the rest of the field continued on.

    Kato improved to a 1:50.535 to eclipse Clerot by 0.012s as Ugochukwu went to P4. Slater, despite the new rubber, came on the radio to complain of issues on his Trident.

    Elsewhere, Brando Badoer’s session looked to be over after he hit the barrier, with Rodin left in a race against time to fix his left rear suspension ahead of qualifying 2.

    Out on track, Kato could not improve on his final lap of Q1. But neither could his rivals, leaving him on pole for Feature Race 1, with Clerot settling for P2 ahead of Taponen.

    Qualifying 2
    After a short break the drivers were back out on track. This included Slater with Trident having worked to fix his car in the break between the sessions.

    The British driver looked to be back in the groove as he completed a 1:49.972 to go fastest, with Ugochukwu in second, over half a second behind his title rival.

    Clerot and Badoer, who was back out on track wit his car fixed, went up to second and third, although Nakamura split the Rodin duo moments later.

    On the second set of laps, Kato jumped up to P1 only for Ugochukwu to demote him to P2 moments later with a 1:49.901.

    Clerot continued his strong form to take over at the top with a 1:49.830. Slater, having set the fastest first sector, locked up on the entry to Turn 5, leaving him fifth.

    Ugochukwu then reclaimed P1 with a 1:49.771 as Slater aborted his lap and returned to the pit lane. Clerot finished his next lap to go to P2, 0.069s off the Campos driver.

    On the final lap of the day, Taponen went quickest on a 1:49.750. Ugochukwu came across the line but could not improve and stayed second.

    Behind them, Clerot had been on for a fast lap, but he pushed too hard at the final corner, winding up in the barriers, bringing the session to an end.

    This left Taponen on pole for Feature Race 2 ahead of Ugochukwu and Clerot.

  • F2 – RND 11 – Day 1

    Practice-

    Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov made a strong start to his Madrid weekend by topping the timesheets in Free Practice.

    The Championship leader set the pace with a 1:47.059 to lead Van Amersfoort Racing duo Nico Varrone and Rafael Villagomez.

    Tsolov was the early pacesetter on 1:50.065, but he soon found himself in P2 with Invicta Racing’s Joshua Duerksen going quickest by over six-tenths.

    Kush Maini then took over at the top with a 1:49.120, but soon after his ART Grand Prix teammate Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak found the barrier at the exit of Turn 19.

    The Thai driver was out of the car and ok. With the track cleared, running resumed with over six minutes to go after the session was extended.

    Alexander Dunne went to P1 on a 1:48.286 with Dino Beganovic following him across the line to go P2.
    The DAMS Lucas Oil driver was just 0.033s off the leading time.

    Moments later, Tsolov returned to the top with a 1:48.245, before improving to a 1:47.059 on his next lap, with Nico Varrone 0.110s behind.

    Maini briefly went quickest at the chequered flag but lost his time for exceeding track limits, just as Laurens van Hoepen found the barrier at Turn 13, bringing out the yellow flags at the session’s end.

    Tsolov finished in P1 ahead of VAR duo of Varrone and Rafael Villagomez.

    Qualifying-

    Dino Beganovic was in superb form to earn the Aramco Pole Position Award, his first since the opening round of the 2026 campaign.

    The DAMS Lucas Oil driver was a consistent presence at the top of the times, delivering a 1:44.331 to take the first ever FIA Formula 2 pole in Madrid. He beat Alexander Dunne and Rafael Camara to top spot.

    On the first set of push laps, ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini suffered a spin ahead of Turn 15 and hit the wall to bring out the Red Flags.

    In a separate incident, Sebastian Montoya tagged the barriers in his PREMA Racing car to sustain suspension damage. Maini was out of his car and OK while the Colombian recovered to pit lane entry.

    The session resumed with 23 minutes remaining, and everyone eager to record a banker lap.

    Nikola Tsolov was the early pacesetter, going quickest on a 1:46.328 for Campos Racing, with Dunne P2 for Rodin Motorsport, 0.002s down on the leading effort.

    The second Red Flag arrived as Nico Varrone found the barrier at Turn 18 in the Van Amersfoort Racing. He was out of the car and OK, but everyone else returned to the pit lane while his car was recovered.

    Running resumed with 18 minutes left on the clock and once again, there was a rush to get another lap in.

    Dunne took top spot by almost a full second as the track continued to improve. Trident’s Laurens van Hoepen went up to P2 nearly eight tenths off top spot.

    Beganovic then delivered a 1:45.182 to secure P1 by 0.2s over Dunne, with teammate Roman Bilinski going third fastest with little over 11 minutes remaining.

    The Swede found another chunk of time with eight minutes to go, setting a 1:44.578 to extend his advantage to eight-tenths of a second over his closest challenger in Dunne.

    A third Red Flag arrived with just over five minutes remaining, with John Bennett in the barriers. The Trident driver was OK, but his car needed clearing from Turn 11.

    Running resumed once more with 05:28 on the clock and time for one last run.
    Personal best sectors were flying in, and Dunne pipped Beganovic to take top spot briefly until the Swede finished his latest lap, lowering the time to be a 1:44.331.

    Despite a big oversteer moment at the final corner, Invicta Racing’s Camara jumped up to third having been outside the top 10 prior to crossing the line.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DdJlXWOpBCr/?stkn=b2w4ZndtZmpmcDg1

  • Williams reveal special edition livery

    Williams will mark Formula 1’s return to Madrid by racing a special edition livery inspired by the colours of their 1981 championship-winning FW07C, which was the car the team raced the last time the sport competed in the Spanish capital.

    The livery, which will adorn the cars of home hero Carlos Sainz and his team mate Alex Albon, features a white, green and navy blue colourway in a nod to the 1981 design that was raced by Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann at Madrid’s Circuito de Jarama.

    Williams say the design showcases how they are using the knowledge, methods and lessons of the past to inspire their fight back to the front.

    Sainz will be competing in his 13th Spanish Grand Prix but first in Madrid – the city where he was born, raised and began his motor racing career.
    He and team mate Alex Albon will be searching for the team’s first points since Albon took eighth in Monaco, eight Grand Prix weekends ago.

    The British team, who finished a superb fifth last year, currently sit ninth in the Teams’ Championship on 11 points, five adrift of Audi.

    Our mission to get back to the front of the grid is drawn from, inspired by and informed by everything we’ve done before. I am incredibly proud to celebrate that through [title sponsor] Atlassian’s special livery, connecting the team we were at Jarama with the team we are becoming today through focused collaboration, improved technological innovation, and real creativity. The car looks fantastic, and I cannot wait to see it lapping around Madrid.
    Vowles on the car.

  • Lawson to stick at Red Bull for third race

    Red Bull will continue to field Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with Isack Hadjar still recovering from a wrist injury.

    Lawson initially stepped in for Hadjar at Zandvoort, and remained in his place at Monza, while Yuki Tsunoda returned to take over the New Zealander’s Racing Bulls seat.

    On Monday, Red Bull announced that Hadjar – who injured his wrist while training over the summer break – will remain on the sidelines for F1’s first visit to the new Madring track.

    Tsunoda, meanwhile, remains alongside Arvid Lindblad with the sister Racing Bull’s team.

    Lawson has finished the last two races with Red Bull in P7 and P14 respectively, while Tsunoda has recorded P11 and P10 results.

    After racing for the team in Zandvoort and Monza, Liam will continue to drive alongside Max at this week’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The decision has been taken as Isack’s recovery continues to progress positively. While he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be in Madrid supporting the team. Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing looks forward to welcoming Isack back behind the wheel very soon.
    A statement from Red Bull.

  • F3 to hold official test at Madring

    The FIA Formula 3 Championship will conduct a two-day in-season official test at the new venue MADRING on 24th – 25th August.
    F3 will also conclude its 2026 season with an expanded finale in Madrid, featuring an additional qualifying session and a second feature race.

    Taking place two weeks before the inaugural Formula 1 Tag Heuer Gran Premio De Espana on 11th – 13th September, the F3 in-season test will provide an opportunity to validate the circuit’s sporting, operational and safety procedures under real track conditions.

    In addition to this added test session, the FIA Formula 3 Championship confirm an expanded weekend format for the final round of the 2026 season, which will take place at the MADRING, in order to reach the number of events planned originally for this year.
    The season finale at Madrid will include an additional qualifying session and a second feature race.

    The revised weekend schedule will consist of:

    • Friday morning: one 45 minute Free Practice session
    • Friday afternoon: two consecutive 20 minute Qualifying session.
    • Saturday morning: Sprint Race, with the reverse-grid order determined by the results of the first Qualifying session.
    • Saturday afternoon: First Feature Race, with the starting grid set by the results of the first qualifying session.
    • Sunday morning: Second and final Feature Race of the 2026 F3 season, with the grid determined by the results of the second qualifying session.

    Pole position in each qualifying session will award 2 points, while both Feature Races will carry the standard points allocation, in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations.

    I’m very pleased to announce this F3 test session at the MADRING. It will be two very valuable days of testing for our teams and drivers to appraise this new challenge before the crucial final round of the 2026 season, which will be held at this new venue. This season will have a pretty unique conclusion with an enhanced finale, which will provide the teams and the drivers with an additional opportunity to score points, following the loss of the race weekend at Bahrain earlier this year.
    Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 3 CEO.

  • Madrid to host F2 & F3 races from 2026

    The Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, set to take place in Madrid from 2026 to 2035, will also feature the FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 Championships.

    The ten year agreement brings the lower-tier F1 categories to Madrid, enriching the fan experience with not only the thrill of top-tier racing but also the opportunity to witness the merging talents on the road to Formula 1.

    This agreement was signed by FIA F2 and FIA F3 CEO Bruno Michel, Jose Vicente de los Mozos, President of the Executive Committee of IFEMA Madrid, Daniel Martinez, Executive Vice-President of IFEMA Madrid and Luis Garcia Abad, General Director of IFEMA Madrid.

    Having both Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing on the same weekend as Formula 1 underscores the commitment of the Spanish GP organisers to deliver a sporting and entertainment experience for fans.

    I am extremely happy to bring F2 and F3 to Madrid, at this exciting new venue. It’s important that the young drivers in both our championships get to race on as many F1 tracks as possible. With the addition of Madrid to the Formula 1 calendar, it was logical that F2 and F3 would follow suit. I am really looking forward to our cars providing the spectators with some thrilling racing.
    Bruno Michel on the news.

    At IFEMA Madrid, we are very proud to bring F2 and F3 to our Grand Prix alongside F1, as our goal is to make the F1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026-2035 the best event possible. The FIA F2 and FIA F3 categories are fundamental for the future of the sport, as they produce the future stars of F1. This makes the Spanish Grand Prix 2026-2035 an even more unmissable event, offering fans a complete experience full of talent, spectacle, and excitement, with a unique motorsport offering.
    Jose Vicente de los Mozos adds.

  • Envision Racing confirm Palmowski & Powell

    Envision Racing have announced Alisha Palmowski & Alice Powell to join the team for the official ABB FIA Formula E Women’s test session in Madrid.

    Palmowski, 18, has excelled in junior categories during her fledgling career to date, winning the Ginetta Junior Scholarship in 2022 and clinching the Vice-Champion spot in the GB4 Championship this year – where she took home 11 podiums, three race wins and two pole positions during the year.

    Driving alongside Palmowski will be Alice Powell, who has been part of the Envision Racing team since 2021.
    Powell has completed a successful test for them in Berlin during Season 10, completing a huge number of laps to provide crucial data to the team.

    Powell, is the teams Test & Development driver since 2021/22 season. Stepping into the new Gen3 Evo machinery for the first time and Powell’s experience and expertise will provide important baseline information.

    I cannot wait to join Envision Racing for the all-women’s Formula E test this month in Madrid. The car will be both faster and much different to anything I’ve previously driven so it is a great opportunity for me to learn and will be an amazing experience. I cannot thank everyone at Envision Racing enough for the opportunity, and I am also looking forward to working alongside Alice who has some great experience with these cars that I can hopefully learn from.
    Alisha Palmowski on the news.

    I am very happy to be back in a Formula E car for the second time in 2024, after participating in the Berlin rookie test earlier this year. I’m looking forward to getting more laps in and helping the team as much as I can going forward into Season 11 and the GEN3 Evo era of the series. I am very grateful to the team for another chance to drive the car and the trust they continue to put in me.
    Alice Powell on being back with Envision.

    As a team we have never been shy of supporting talented women, and so we are very pleased to see the championship take this step forward in providing a platform for women racing drivers. We’re excited to see Alisha step into Formula E for the first time after a hugely successful season for her, and equally to see Alice back in the car, who is very experienced within our team and the sport. Alisha caught our attention with her strong performances this past season and we are excited to see what she can do in a Formula E car – with Alice alongside her to provide experience and insight, we are sure it will be a rewarding session for all involved.
    Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director & CTO.

  • Madrid to join F1 calendar from 2026

    Formula 1 has announced that the Spanish Grand Prix will be held in Madrid from 2026 to 2035 following an agreement with IFEMA Madrid to bring an all new circuit to the Spanish capital, which will incorporate both street and non-street sections.

    Built around the world-class IFEMA exhibition centre, the 5.47km circuit – subject to FIA homologation and final design specification – will feature 20 corners, with a projected qualifying lap time of 1 minute 32 seconds.

    It is projected to have capacity to host more than 110,00 fans per day across grandstand, general admission and VIP hospitality, while there are plans to grow the circuit’s capacity to 140,000 per day over the first half of the agreement, making Madrid one of the largest venues on the F1 calendar

    Located five minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Aldolfo Suarez airport, the Spanish Grand Prix will become one of the most accessible races on the F1 calendar, with the circuit just a short commute away by Metro, train and city lines.

    F1 is committed to reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and IFEMA Madrid shares the vision to make the Spanish Grand Prix one of the most sustainable F1 events of the season, having greatly reduced its carbon emissions over the last five years and move to 100% renewable energy across all exhibition halls, while any temporary structure built for the race will be constructed using recyclable materials.

    Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain. I would like to thank the team at IFEMA MADRID, the Regional Government of Madrid and the city’s Mayor for putting together a fantastic proposal. It truly epitomises Formula 1’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.

    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.

    Modern Formula 1 cars racing on a new circuit in the Spanish capital city of Madrid is an enticing prospect.As we build towards the introduction of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with Net Zero carbon by 2030 in mind, it is pleasing to see that the local organisers have placed a sharp focus on environmental sustainability in their plans for the event. As is customary, the proposed circuit will be subject to FIA homologation and safety checks and calendar approval by the World Motor Sport Council.

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.

    Our dream of hosting a major F1 event around IFEMA MADRID has come true. We are thrilled to announce the return of F1 to Madrid after more than four decades. We have the ambition to organise a Grand Prix that will become a reference in the F1 worldwide calendar, specifically conceptualized and designed to offer a distinctive and unique experience for both fans and teams participating in the competition. With this, Madrid wants to deep dive into the development of a new concept that combines sport and entertainment, while delivering a memorable event.

    Jose Vicente de los Mozos, President of the Executive Committee of IFEMA Madrid.

  • Madrid F1 race a step closer…

    A Formula 1 race in Madrid is a step closer to reality after the boss of the proposed venue insisted that he knows when a deal will be signed.

    The claim was made on Thursday the 13th by Jose Vicente de los Mozos, the president of the executive committee of the IFEMA fairgrounds and convention centre located to the northeast of the Spanish capital.

    Opened in 1991 IFEMA has become a major centre for conferences and conventions, and there is enough land in and around it to form the basis of a race circuit, with the existing buildings called into use.

    Since March it has been the host of the officially-sanctioned and well-received F1 Exhibition, which in effect has served to help the city to stake its claim for a race event.

    Barcelona currently has a deal to run the Spanish GP until 2026, and it’s not clear yet if the plan is for the new event to eventually take over the title, or if it will run as the Madrid GP.

    The Madrid area previously hosted F1 when the Spanish HP was held at Jarama, to the east of the city and not much further away from the centre than the new venue.

    The track first held the race in 1968, initially alternating with Montjuich Park in Barcelona, which co-incidentally like the proposed new venue was a street track adjacent to an exhibition facility.

    I know when we’re going to sign it and when we’re going to do it. We have followed the process indicated to us. The Spanish Automobile Federation has been informed from the first moment, we have signed exclusivity, and now we are advancing with the contract.

    De Los Mozos on a future race deal.

    It is true that Madrid wants to host a race in the future. And no decision has been taken so far. That’s another great sign of the state of the health of F1. And this is the right competition that will not involve at all any political discussion, only commercial and technical and sporting discussion we’ll be taking the next couple of months. And for the best of F1 we will take the right decision. I’m sure about it. But we need to remember that we still have years of contract with Barcelona, and we are really very, very happy with the way that Barcelona is handling the future because, of course, this has helped them to react, to push for the improvement that is needed at all levels, everywhere. And then this, of course, is in a moment where we have Fernando [Alonso] performing incredibly well, and we have Carlos Sainz in Ferrari. Both of them have a lot of fans. We see that the TV rating figure is growing incredibly well in Spain. So the market is very, very strong now. And so that’s great that we have these kinds of hopes for the future.

    Stefano Domencali speaking to F1’s own Beyond the Grid podcast.

  • Madrid interested in hosting F1 race

    Madrid, has officially expressed an interest in hosting a Formula One race, the city’s regional government announced last month.

    Although there are no Formula One-grade tracks in Madrid, and Spain already hosts a race in Barcelona which is contracted until 2026, the Spanish capital believes they can open talks with F1 organisers, Liberty Media about hosting a race.

    I would like to confirm our commitment to you and to this project, as well as our willingness to sign the appropriate agreements to promote the race and offer a great sporting and entertainment spectacle.

    Local government cabinet minister, Enrique Lopez.

    Madrid hosted F1 Grand Prix’s between 1968 and 1981 at the Jarama Circuit, which is our dated and would need a major upgrade to be able to host a race again.

    Last year, the local government of Morata de Tajuna, 36km south of Madrid, confirmed that it was seeking to build an FIA Grade 1 circuit with the ambition of hosting Formula 1 as well as Moto GP.

    My Opinion-

    Part of me would love a new track for Spain, but there is also a part of me that’s thinking we have a good track, and there’s probably other tracks which could do with updating before we go and get new ones when the one we have now is okay?