Formula One’s new Spanish Grand Prix circuit in Madrid was unveiled Tuesday in a high-profile presentation event, with organizers expressing confidence the venue will be ready to host its first race in September despite significant construction work still underway.
A large Spanish flag was raised at the first corner as government officials, circuit executives and Williams driver Carlos Sainz attended the ceremony, highlighting the importance of the project for the capital city’s sporting ambitions.
The 5.47-kilometer Madring circuit, located around the IFEMA exhibition center in northeastern Madrid, is designed with strong transport links to the city center and Barajas airport. The layout features two long straights and a 24% banked “Monumental” corner, where cars are expected to reach speeds of up to 340 kph.
“It’s a circuit that has a bit of everything: fast, slow, an urban part, a much more open part,” said Sainz, a Madrid native and circuit ambassador who has already driven part of the layout in a Ford Mustang GT road car. “It’s different.”
While the asphalt surface has been completed, heavy construction continues around the site, where hundreds of workers are preparing infrastructure for what will become Formula One’s largest fan zone. Earth-moving equipment remains active across much of the surrounding area, which still resembles a construction zone.
Permanent pit buildings are still under construction, and temporary grandstands have yet to be installed, while the paddock area remains in development. Despite the tight schedule, Madring Chief Operations Officer Carlos Jimenez said he remains confident the project will be delivered on time.
“We are in our 11th month of construction and the permits took 12,” Jimenez told Reuters. “Now the most complicated part, even apart from the track, has been done. In the south, the track is done … in the north, the plot of land is going to be finished in three weeks.”
He said installation of temporary structures, including grandstands and hospitality areas, would begin within weeks and take roughly six weeks to complete, though high summer temperatures in July and August could force nighttime construction shifts.
“We might need to work during the nights,” he said. “So we have reserved buffer time and we can do night shifts because the license for construction allows us to work 24 hours.”
The FIA has conducted two inspection visits, with a final review scheduled for mid-August. Organizers said the circuit will undergo high-pressure water treatment to enhance grip before final approval. The fan zone is expected to be completed by late August, when Formula Three testing will also take place.
Electronic infrastructure, including lighting systems and tunnel illumination beneath a highway crossing the circuit, is expected to be completed in July. The final regulatory inspection by city authorities is scheduled for Aug. 30.
The race, scheduled for Sept. 11-13, will mark Madrid’s return to Formula One after more than four decades, following the Jarama circuit’s tenure from 1968 to 1981. It will also be Spain’s second Grand Prix this season after Barcelona-Catalunya.
Madring General Manager Luis Garcia Abad, formerly manager of double world champion Fernando Alonso, said accessibility and sustainability were central to the project’s design.
“The new generation are looking for these things. They don’t want to drive and spend two hours to get to the circuit and the parking lot. This is totally different,” he said.
“You can be here and nine minutes later you can be in the city centre without any special problem and have a drink or dinner in a nice city.”
