F1 GP Madrid: analysis of new IFEMA circuit layout

With the announcement of the Madrid GP, organizers have also revealed the new layout of the city circuit.

Today, January 23, marks the welcome return of a historic event in the F1 calendar. With the official confirmation of the new Madrid GP, the new layout of the city circuit has been disclosed. The circuit will be constructed near the IFEMA district.

The new city circuit surrounds the trade fair district of the Spanish capital and winds through external connecting roads. The projected length in the plans is 5,474 m with 20 curves. However, this estimate may change and be refined ahead of the official debut scheduled for 2026. The layout includes various types of curves, featuring high-speed sweepers and others with lower speeds. There are also two underpasses in the circuit’s development. Being a city circuit, there are 90-degree turns, specifically turns 1-2 and 20-21-22. Chicanes are also present to make the passage of the next-generation cars more exciting. Indeed, the new Madrid circuit will host the top series from 2026.

Despite being a circuit near a commercial district in a city, the organizers and layout designers have incorporated some peculiarities. Notably, there is a long right turn to be taken at high speed that “mimics” the spoon curve at the historic Suzuka circuit. Like Suzuka’s, Madrid’s Spoon has two apex points, making it more challenging to tackle. The last part of the circuit is very interesting, featuring a sequence of fast corners interrupted by a sharp and slow left-right section. The lateral and longitudinal acceleration data are not known, but there may be some challenging braking zones and curves with varying G-forces.

As reported by Jarno Zaffelli, the new Madrid circuit will have sections with banking to make the lap more spectacular. The most notable seems to be the double right turn similar to the Japanese Spoon, with cars tackling it much faster due to the positive incline.

With the official announcement of the new circuit, auxiliary structures such as the Paddock, Paddock Club, and various grandstands have also been presented. Being constructed near a trade fair district, the buildings will be set up to accommodate all activities planned for the wealthier spectators. Moreover, the Paddock Club will provide direct access to view the starting grid and a significant portion of the first and last sectors. In addition to F1, other categories are expected to race, as one of the buildings will host facilities for other series like F2, F3, or even the Porsche SuperCup.

A stylish return for Madrid to F1 is on the horizon, with the new cars navigating the streets of Madrid after many years of absence. During the presentation of the new layout, promoters also showcased simulations of the expected lap times for the 5474 m track. According to F1’s communicated data, the new F1 cars in 2026 should lap in 1:32.026.

Source: f1ingenerale