Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid: Madring Circuit Guide and Race History

The Spanish Grand Prix begins a new chapter in 2026 as Formula 1 moves the event to Madrid and the newly constructed Madring circuit. The inaugural race at the venue will take place from Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September 2026, bringing the Spanish Grand Prix back to the capital for the first time since the final race at Jarama in 1981.

Madring is a 5.416-kilometre circuit built around IFEMA Madrid and the Valdebebas district. Its unusual hybrid design combines public roads with purpose-built sections, creating a track with the appearance of a street circuit but several characteristics normally associated with a permanent racing venue.

The 22-corner layout includes long straights, substantial elevation changes, several heavy braking zones and a distinctive banked corner called La Monumental. The first Spanish Grand Prix at Madring will cover 57 laps and a race distance of 308.524 kilometres.

For Ferrari, Madrid represents an entirely new technical challenge. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will have to learn the circuit during the three practice sessions before competing for the first Formula 1 victory awarded at Madring.

Follow the latest Ferrari news, technical updates and results from the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

2026 Spanish Grand Prix at a glance

2026 Spanish Grand Prix schedule

The first Formula 1 weekend at Madring will follow the traditional Grand Prix format. Teams will have two practice sessions on Friday and a final practice hour on Saturday before qualifying determines the grid for Sunday’s race.

All session times are local Madrid time and remain subject to timetable changes by Formula 1, the FIA or the event organiser.

You can also consult the complete 2026 Formula 1 schedule and race results, the latest Formula 1 driver standings and the current constructor standings.

Why the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix is historic

The 2026 event will be the first Formula 1 race held at Madring and the first Spanish Grand Prix staged in Madrid for 45 years. The capital previously hosted the race at the Jarama circuit, which appeared on the Formula 1 calendar for the last time in 1981.

Madring represents a different concept from Spain’s previous Formula 1 venues. Rather than being a conventional permanent circuit or a traditional city-centre street track, it combines sections of public road with privately developed racing infrastructure around the IFEMA exhibition centre.

The Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled to remain in Madrid until at least 2035 under the initial ten-year agreement. The accessibility of the location is one of the project’s central features, with the venue connected to central Madrid and the city’s airport by metro, suburban train and bus services.

The opening race will also provide the first competitive evidence of how the circuit behaves. Until Formula 1 completes practice, qualifying and the Grand Prix, there will be no official race lap record, qualifying record, established tyre-degradation pattern or proven strategic model for Madring.

Spanish Grand Prix or Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix?

Spain hosts two Formula 1 races in 2026, which can create confusion between the events.

The race held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in June was renamed the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton won that event for Ferrari ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris.

The Spanish Grand Prix is the separate September event at Madring in Madrid. It retains the historic Spanish Grand Prix title and begins the new agreement between Formula 1 and IFEMA Madrid.

Madring circuit information

What kind of circuit is Madring?

Madring has been designed to combine several different types of Formula 1 challenge within one lap. The circuit contains slow corners requiring traction, fast direction changes, long flat-out sections, substantial braking zones and changes in elevation.

The layout begins around the IFEMA exhibition complex before entering the more urban section near Ribera del Sena. It then climbs through Las Cárcavas, crosses the fast Valdebebas section and returns towards IFEMA for the final sequence of corners.

The projected maximum speed is approximately 340 km/h. However, the circuit is not simply a collection of straights and low-speed corners. Several sections are expected to be taken at high speed, while La Monumental introduces prolonged banking and sustained lateral load.

Madring’s variety should make finding the correct setup difficult. Teams will need enough aerodynamic efficiency for the long straights while retaining sufficient grip and stability for the fast linked corners, banked sections and repeated braking events.

A lap of the Madring Formula 1 circuit

Main straight and Turn 1

The lap begins on a 589-metre main straight situated near the IFEMA exhibition halls. The distance from the starting grid to Turn 1 is only slightly more than 200 metres, which could produce a busy opening corner on the first lap.

Drivers are expected to approach Turn 1 at approximately 320 km/h before braking to around 100 km/h. The width of the braking zone and the major reduction in speed should make it one of the circuit’s principal overtaking opportunities.

Turn 2 follows almost immediately, meaning drivers must complete the first corner without compromising their positioning for the next acceleration phase.

Hortaleza and the longest straight

Turn 3 is known as Hortaleza, named after the nearby Madrid district. The fast right-hander leads into the circuit’s longest flat-out section along Ribera del Sena.

This section measures approximately 837 metres and includes the rapid Turn 4. Formula 1 cars are expected to reach the circuit’s projected maximum speed of around 340 km/h before braking heavily for Turn 5.

The combination of a long slipstreaming opportunity and a slow corner at the end should make Turn 5 another important place for overtaking. Drivers may also have to defend while positioning the car for the following uphill sequence.

Subida de las Cárcavas

Turns 6 and 7 form the Subida de las Cárcavas. This section climbs at a gradient of up to 8%, gaining approximately 10 metres in elevation before reaching a blind corner at the highest point of the circuit.

The track then descends at approximately 5%, creating a rapid change in vertical load and visibility. Drivers will need confidence in the car’s balance because the correct line may be difficult to judge while climbing towards a blind crest.

El Búnker and the Valdebebas section

Turn 8 is called El Búnker because of its proximity to historic Spanish Civil War fortifications. It begins the fast and technical section running through Valdebebas.

The corner follows the elevation changes of Las Cárcavas and leads into the high-speed Turn 9. Maintaining momentum will be important, but drivers must also prepare for the chicane that controls the approach to La Monumental.

La Chicane

Turns 10 and 11 form La Chicane, a right-left sequence designed to reduce speed before the circuit’s signature banked corner.

The quality of the exit will be critical. Drivers who lose speed or place the car incorrectly could surrender a significant amount of time through the long corner that follows.

La Monumental

Turn 12, La Monumental, is expected to become the defining image of Madring. The semicircular corner takes its name from the shape of a traditional Spanish bullring and stretches for approximately 548 metres.

Its 24% banking should allow Formula 1 cars to carry substantial speed through the corner. Organisers expect drivers to spend around six seconds negotiating the turn, creating an extended period of lateral and vertical load.

The corner is surrounded by grandstands designed to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. Its unusual profile may also permit drivers to experiment with different lines, particularly when following another car or attempting to prepare an attack.

Turn 13 and Las Enlazadas de Valdebebas

Drivers leave La Monumental at more than 300 km/h before braking for Turn 13. The slower corner creates another potential overtaking opportunity and determines the approach to the fast sequence that follows.

Turns 14, 15 and 16 form Las Enlazadas de Valdebebas. The three linked corners are expected to be taken at very high speed, placing emphasis on aerodynamic stability, accuracy and driver commitment.

The sequence ends with heavy braking for Turn 17, where speeds are projected to fall from approximately 280 km/h to 100 km/h.

Final sector and El Parque

The closing section returns towards the IFEMA complex. Turn 18 is known as Norte, while Turn 19 is a fast left-hander expected to be taken at approximately 260 km/h.

Turn 20 begins the slowest part of the lap and should provide another opportunity to attack under braking. Drivers must then negotiate two final right-hand corners bordered by walls.

Turn 22 is called El Parque because of its view towards Juan Carlos I Park. A clean exit will be essential because it leads directly onto the main straight and determines speed towards the first corner.

Madring setup and technical demands

Because no Formula 1 Grand Prix has previously taken place at Madring, teams will begin the weekend without conventional race data from the circuit. Simulator work, track mapping and Friday practice will therefore be particularly important.

The layout appears likely to require a compromise between straight-line efficiency and aerodynamic grip. Reducing drag should improve speed along the 837-metre flat-out section, but insufficient downforce could make the car difficult to control through La Monumental, the Valdebebas sequence and several faster corners.

Braking stability will be another priority. The lap contains repeated deceleration zones from high speed, including Turns 1, 5, 13, 17 and 20. Drivers will need confidence when attacking the brakes while managing temperatures and avoiding front-wheel locking.

Traction will influence the exits from the slower corners, while suspension behaviour will be tested by elevation changes, banking and the transition between public-road and purpose-built surfaces.

Tyre behaviour remains one of the largest unknowns. The long banked Turn 12 could generate sustained loads, but the true level of degradation will depend on the final asphalt characteristics, temperatures, compound selection and car setups.

Follow our Ferrari technical analysis archive for information on the SF-26 setup, aerodynamic configuration, tyre behaviour and upgrades used during the Madrid weekend.

What happened at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix?

The final Spanish Grand Prix held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was won by Oscar Piastri for McLaren. Lando Norris completed a McLaren one-two, while Charles Leclerc finished third and secured a podium for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in sixth place in the second Ferrari. The result made Charles Leclerc the final Ferrari driver to stand on the Spanish Grand Prix podium before the event transferred from Barcelona to Madrid.

Recent Spanish Grand Prix winners

History of the Spanish Grand Prix

Motor racing in Spain predates the Formula 1 World Championship by several decades. A race held around the Guadarrama region near Madrid in 1913 is popularly regarded as an early Spanish Grand Prix, although the first official International Spanish Grand Prix took place at Sitges-Terramar in 1923.

The Spanish Grand Prix joined the Formula 1 World Championship in 1951 at the Pedralbes street circuit in Barcelona. Juan Manuel Fangio won the first championship edition, while Mike Hawthorn delivered Ferrari’s first Spanish Grand Prix victory when the event returned to Pedralbes in 1954.

Jarama and Montjuïc

The race returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 1968 and initially alternated between Jarama near Madrid and the Montjuïc street circuit in Barcelona.

Montjuïc last hosted Formula 1 in 1975 following a tragic accident in which Rolf Stommelen’s car left the circuit and four spectators were killed. Jarama then became the sole Spanish Grand Prix venue until 1981.

The final Jarama race produced one of Ferrari’s greatest victories. Gilles Villeneuve held off four faster-looking cars in his difficult Ferrari 126 CK, with the first five drivers separated by only 1.24 seconds at the finish.

The Jerez years

The Spanish Grand Prix returned in 1986 at Jerez. Ayrton Senna defeated Nigel Mansell by only 0.014 seconds in the first race at the venue, one of the closest finishes in Formula 1 history.

Jerez continued to host the Spanish Grand Prix until 1990. It later returned to the calendar under the European Grand Prix title, including the championship-deciding 1997 race.

Barcelona-Catalunya

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya became the home of the Spanish Grand Prix in 1991. Its first race featured the famous image of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna racing side by side along the main straight.

The circuit remained the event’s regular venue through 2025. Its combination of high, medium and low-speed corners also made it an important testing location and a valuable reference for evaluating Formula 1 car performance.

Several major moments occurred there, including Michael Schumacher’s first Ferrari victory in 1996, Pastor Maldonado’s only Formula 1 win in 2012, Fernando Alonso’s final Grand Prix victory in 2013 and Max Verstappen becoming Formula 1’s youngest race winner in 2016.

The move to Madrid

Formula 1 announced in 2024 that Madrid would host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 under an agreement running until 2035.

The transfer brings the event back to the Madrid region for the first time since Jarama’s final race in 1981. Madring begins a new era while the separate Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix allows the Catalan circuit to retain a place on the 2026 calendar.

Ferrari’s Spanish Grand Prix history

Ferrari is the most successful constructor in Spanish Grand Prix history, with 12 victories. The Scuderia’s successes span several venues and include important milestones involving some of its greatest drivers.

Mike Hawthorn delivers Ferrari’s first Spanish GP win

Mike Hawthorn won the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix at Pedralbes, giving Ferrari its first victory in the event. The British driver later became Formula 1 World Champion with the Scuderia in 1958.

Niki Lauda earns his first Formula 1 victory

Niki Lauda won the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama. It was his first Formula 1 victory and Ferrari’s 50th World Championship Grand Prix win.

The result formed part of the rebuilding process that eventually produced Lauda’s championship-winning seasons with Ferrari in 1975 and 1977.

Gilles Villeneuve’s extraordinary 1981 defence

Gilles Villeneuve’s victory at Jarama in 1981 remains one of the most celebrated drives in Ferrari history. His turbocharged car was powerful on the straight but difficult through the circuit’s slower corners.

Villeneuve repeatedly used the Ferrari’s acceleration and his defensive skill to prevent Jacques Laffite, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann and Elio de Angelis from passing. It proved to be the final victory of his Formula 1 career.

Michael Schumacher wins in the Barcelona rain

Michael Schumacher secured his first Ferrari victory at the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix. In extremely wet conditions, the German driver established a large advantage and demonstrated the ability that would later help transform the Scuderia into Formula 1’s dominant team.

Schumacher ultimately won the Spanish Grand Prix six times, sharing the event record with Lewis Hamilton.

Fernando Alonso wins at home for Ferrari

Fernando Alonso won the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix after starting fifth. The home victory remains the most recent Formula 1 win of the two-time world champion’s career.

Alonso’s result was also Ferrari’s most recent Spanish Grand Prix victory before the event moved to Madrid.

Spanish Grand Prix records and statistics

• First International Spanish Grand Prix: 1923 at Sitges-Terramar.
• First Formula 1 World Championship Spanish Grand Prix: 1951 at Pedralbes.
• Most driver victories: Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, with six each.
• Most successful constructor: Ferrari, with 12 victories.
• Spanish GP venues: Pedralbes, Jarama, Montjuïc, Jerez, Barcelona-Catalunya and Madring.
• Most recent Ferrari Spanish GP victory: Fernando Alonso in 2013.
• Final Spanish GP at Barcelona-Catalunya: 2025.
• First Spanish GP at Madring: 2026.
• First Madrid Spanish GP since: 1981.
• Madring agreement: 2026–2035.
• Madring race lap record: To be established in 2026.
• Madring qualifying record: To be established in 2026.

Getting to Madring

Madring is located around IFEMA Madrid and Valdebebas, close to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. The organiser expects public transport to provide the main means of reaching the circuit.

Metro

Madrid Metro Line 8 connects the city and airport with the Feria de Madrid station, which provides access to the IFEMA side of the circuit.

Suburban train

The Cercanías C1 line serves Valdebebas and connects the circuit area with major Madrid stations including Atocha, Recoletos, Nuevos Ministerios and Chamartín.

Bus and taxi

Several normal and event-specific bus services are expected to operate around IFEMA, Valdebebas and Las Cárcavas. Designated taxi areas will also be provided during the Grand Prix weekend.

Travelling by car

Parking around the event will be limited. Spectators are therefore encouraged to use metro, train or bus services rather than travelling to the circuit in a private vehicle.

Frequently asked questions about the Spanish Grand Prix

When is the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix?

The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix will take place from Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September. The race is scheduled to start at 13:00 local time on Sunday.

Where is the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix being held?

The event will be held at Madring, a new Formula 1 circuit built around IFEMA Madrid and the Valdebebas district of the Spanish capital.

Is the Spanish Grand Prix still held in Barcelona?

No. The Spanish Grand Prix title moved to Madrid in 2026. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted a separate race called the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June 2026.

How long is Madring?

The official Formula 1 circuit length is 5.416 kilometres. The Spanish Grand Prix will cover 57 laps and a total race distance of 308.524 kilometres.

How many corners does Madring have?

The Madrid circuit contains 22 corners, including the heavily banked La Monumental at Turn 12.

What is La Monumental?

La Monumental is Madring’s signature corner. It is an approximately 548-metre semicircular turn with 24% banking and is expected to take Formula 1 drivers around six seconds to complete.

Does Madring have a Formula 1 lap record?

No official record exists before the inaugural event. The first qualifying benchmark and race lap record will be established during the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

Is the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix a Sprint weekend?

No. The event is scheduled as a standard weekend with three practice sessions, qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Who has won the Spanish Grand Prix most often?

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the record with six Spanish Grand Prix victories each.

How many times has Ferrari won the Spanish Grand Prix?

Ferrari has won the event 12 times, making the Scuderia the most successful constructor in Spanish Grand Prix history.

When did Ferrari last win the Spanish Grand Prix?

Fernando Alonso delivered Ferrari’s most recent Spanish Grand Prix victory at Barcelona in 2013.

Follow Ferrari at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix

ScuderiaFans will provide complete coverage of Ferrari’s first Formula 1 weekend at Madring, including practice reports, qualifying analysis, race results, technical developments, tyre information, strategy assessments and reactions from Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and the Maranello team.

Visit our dedicated 2026 Spanish Grand Prix archive for the latest Ferrari news from Madrid.