This year’s championship will be the last to include the Circuit de Catalunya as the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix before the major change scheduled for the next season. From 2026 and for the following ten years, the Circus will move not only to a hybrid street circuit (with characteristics of a permanent track mixed with fully urban sections) but also to the Spanish capital: Madrid.
After the MadRing presentation with a virtual lap, construction work on the track officially began with the appointment of the future circuit’s ambassador, who was also born in Madrid: Carlos Sainz Jr. The Williams driver attended the event marking the laying of the first stone at the MadRing, expressing not only his love for his hometown but also all the goals to make the Madrid GP unique and spectacular: “Many drivers have asked me about the layout and the paddock, and what I am telling them is that I will try to contribute in every possible way to make the circuit a great spectacle,” he said. “We can be the best circuit in the world and the best event on the whole F1 calendar. There are many street circuits like Mexico, Miami, Las Vegas, but I am confident that Madrid can surpass them. I ask a circuit to have character, to have something that makes it different,” he added, describing the track’s features. “I would define the MadRing as a hybrid circuit: an urban area, with close walls, transmitting a lot of adrenaline to the driver, and a more open, traditional-style area, which is what we drivers appreciate the most. Banked, fast, and flowing corners are what we like the most. And this circuit has both characteristics.”
In addition to Carlos Sainz, the mayor of Madrid, José Martinez Almeida, described the circuit as one of the capital’s landmark projects: “If Las Ventas is the Monumental of the 20th century, this circuit is the Monumental of the 21st century,” he emphasized. “This Grand Prix will be the best opportunity for those who want to get to know Madrid. The best is yet to come for this city.” Madrid is therefore preparing for the event with great enthusiasm, as demonstrated by the words of Isabel Diaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid: “We are living a dream in Madrid that is already becoming a reality. I was able to travel the route aboard the Dakar car with Carlos Sainz, and this allowed me to experience firsthand what this track will be like. It is close to the airport but at the same time near the city center. We will try to make this Grand Prix the best and to make Madrid the epicenter of Spanish motorsport for years to come.”
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