Madrid’s new Formula 1 circuit, Madring, has drawn inspiration from venues including Miami, Mexico City, Melbourne, Monza and Silverstone as organisers prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix in the Spanish capital. Creating the new venue from scratch has involved far more than simply designing the track, with a huge area of Valdebebas being developed ahead of Formula 1’s arrival from 11 to 13 September.
The scale of the project has included designing the distinctive banked La Monumental corner, securing licences and permits and even selling grandstand tickets before organisers knew precisely where every structure would eventually be positioned. Madring will make its championship debut as part of the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
Building Madrid’s F1 circuit from scratch was a major challenge
Nira Juanco, Formula 1 communications manager at IFEMA, explained the scale of the undertaking in an interview with AS.
“It is very complicated to carry out a project like this: to create an F1 circuit from nothing, to urbanise an area as large as this part of Valdebebas, a banked corner like La Monumental, obtain all the licences and permits, sell grandstands without knowing where they would be… Everything has been a challenge, but a very beautiful one.”
The starting point was the infrastructure already available at the IFEMA exhibition and congress complex. Without those existing facilities, hosting the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid during the 11–13 September weekend would not have been possible.
Even with that foundation, however, the sheer size of the project meant Madring’s organisers looked closely at other venues around the World Championship that share similar characteristics. The new Madrid Spanish Grand Prix circuit therefore combines lessons taken from several very different Formula 1 events.
Miami provided one of Madring’s closest reference points
The most obvious comparison was Miami. Its Formula 1 circuit runs around the Hard Rock Stadium and, according to Nira Juanco, its structure offered several ideas that could also work in Madrid.
“All the circuits give you a lot of references and we focused heavily on sustainability issues. In Miami, the track goes around the Hard Rock Stadium and it has certain similarities, it has a lot of VIP areas, as we do, and that Miami model fitted Madrid very well.”
Mexico City was another important inspiration, particularly when it came to creating an experience beyond what happens on the circuit itself.
“Mexico was also a reference because we have gigantic Fan Zones and they have a really strong passion and experience for the fans. We took a lot of inspiration from Mexico.”
Melbourne provided another example of how large spaces can be used effectively throughout a Grand Prix weekend. “Melbourne also has enormous Fan Zones, huge spaces that they fill very well with things, because it gives you the feeling that there is always something to do.”
Monza, Silverstone and Barcelona also influenced Madrid
Alongside Formula 1’s newer events, Madring’s organisers also studied the championship’s traditional venues. Nira Juanco highlighted Barcelona, Monza and Silverstone as circuits whose longevity offers lessons for any new promoter.
“Then, obviously, there are the usual references that remain in Formula 1 for a reason: from Barcelona to Monza or Silverstone, which is the cradle of motorsport, all those circuits remain on the calendar for something, and you have to look at what they do well.”
The Madrid organisers have also had the opportunity to begin learning from their own circuit ahead of the Grand Prix. Ferrari has already completed running at the venue, with Charles Leclerc offering his first impressions of Madring after experiencing the new layout.
Madring organisers plan to improve the Spanish GP year by year
Despite the ambition behind the project, organisers do not intend to establish an unrealistically high benchmark in the first year. Nira Juanco said she does not want to “set the bar in the first year”, preferring instead to develop Madring “step by step”. Around 380,000 fans are expected to attend during the circuit’s debut event.
“We are very happy with what we have achieved so far, because it was a huge challenge, and then for next year we have to see what works. If suddenly we receive 500,000 complaints because you cannot see anything from one grandstand, then we will have to consider that it cannot stay there.”
For the organisers, feedback from spectators will therefore be central to how the Madrid Grand Prix evolves after its first edition.
“With things like that, we have to listen to the fans a lot and there will be many changes. There is a lot of room for improvement: if we don’t do that, they won’t buy tickets from us in the eighth year.”
The emphasis is therefore not simply on completing Madring in time for its first Formula 1 weekend, but on establishing a venue capable of developing over successive editions. The enormous undertaking has already required years of planning and construction, while the organisers have previously maintained that Madring remains on schedule for its Formula 1 debut.
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