Madrid is getting ready for 2026: "F1 will be a grand succes!"
F1 News
In 2026 new technical regulations surrounding the chassis, aerodynamics and Power Units, will revolutionise F1. This will also be the year Madrid makes his debut as host to an F1 Grand Prix, and according to the Mayor of the mediterranean city, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, the event will be a "grand success."
Although the city's government has come under fire from opposing politcal parties due to the suggestion the funds to bring the event to Madrid would come from the public arks, Martinez-Almeida has replied that the Madrid GP will be paid for with private investments, in an attempt to simmer the waters around the whole affair, adding that the F1 race "will be held, and it will be a grand success."
Madrid gets ready to host their first ever F1 race
"We are confident that the works will begin during the second half of this year because we are almost ready for the Formula 1 Grand Prix to be held next year. Therefore, we have to have the circuit and all the infrastructure ready," said the mayor on Monday at Europa Press' 'Desayunos Madrid'.
However, the 5,4 km, 20-turn street circuit must be completed by the summer of 2026, when the race weekend is set to take place, although it is said that if work on the track needs a bit more time, then the 14 months deadline may be extended.
Despite the various bidders to build the track and its infraestructure, the city's government is yet to pick one and there are still several burocratic porcesses to clear before the actual event is a go such as its environmental evaluation and Madrid's City Council's approval of 'the special plan' for the area's use, which is expected to be put forward early February, after it failed to meet the early January deadline. So, despite the confidence from the City's Mayor, there's still much to do before Madrid can actually call themselves an F1 race host.
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels too!