Madring project moves forward despite copyright battle over circuit layout. Madring construction continues while Dromo and Tilke clash over circuit intellectual property.

F1 | Madring passes FIA and FOM inspection, but who owns the intellectual property rights to the circuit design?

Yesterday, FIA and Formula One Management representatives carried out an inspection of the Madring circuit, the new venue currently being built within the exhibition grounds of the Spanish capital. According to reports, construction is progressing in line with the revised timetable that was introduced after earlier delays had forced organisers to adjust their plans. The track and its infrastructure are steadily taking shape, meaning everything should be ready in time for the Spanish Grand Prix scheduled for September 13.

In recent days, rumours had circulated suggesting that a legal dispute involving Dromo, the company led by Jarno Zaffelli, and the Tilke Group could potentially lead to a halt in construction work, with serious consequences for the staging of the Grand Prix.

However, according to information gathered by Motorsport.com, the second Spanish round on the Formula 1 calendar, following the Barcelona race scheduled for June 14, is not facing any immediate risk of construction being suspended. Work continues under the direction of the Tilke Group, which was appointed by IFEMA Madrid, the organisation that manages the exhibition complex and promotes the new street race.

Behind the scenes, however, a legal battle remains unresolved regarding ownership rights to the design of the Madrid circuit. It is worth remembering that the preliminary studies, the applications required to obtain licences and permits — involving around 50 different authorities and organisations — and the initial phase of the project had originally been entrusted to Dromo. Later, IFEMA Madrid brought in Hermann Tilke’s German engineering and design firm to continue development of the circuit. A legal dispute between the two parties therefore became almost inevitable.

For the time being, the Regional Court of Cologne has issued a preliminary injunction preventing Tilke’s companies from using certain documents related to the Madrid circuit project, as the intellectual property rights to those materials are claimed by the Italian company.

The legal dispute gained wider attention after being reported by the German publication F1 Insider. Jarno Zaffelli alleges that the Tilke organisation used the circuit layout without obtaining the necessary authorisation, arguing that the design is protected by copyright. The initial court decision did not deliver a final ruling, however, and represents only one stage of what is expected to be a lengthy legal process.

At first, there were concerns that construction work could even be stopped altogether. The current feeling, however, is that the dispute may ultimately become a compensation matter. Dromo is seeking recognition of what it considers to be its rights after contributing to the creative development of the circuit, while Tilke maintains that the track layout is primarily the result of regulatory requirements and FIA safety standards.

In short, the first Grand Prix has not even taken place yet, and a dispute over authorship has already emerged. The spectacular banked “Monumental” corner that is expected to become one of Madring’s defining features is certainly a concept that reflects Zaffelli’s design philosophy — one only needs to look at the two banked corners that characterise Zandvoort for comparison. Nevertheless, it will ultimately be up to the German courts to determine the outcome of a case that is unlikely to be resolved quickly.

Who owns the intellectual property rights to a brand-new Formula 1 circuit? For now, the answer remains unclear, and the motorsport world will have to wait for the courts to provide one.