Several fans have recently been slamming F1 for making a contentious decision to sign a contract with the city of Madrid for a street race. Since most fans find street circuits boring, they believe that there has been a trend of introducing more such tracks solely because of the money F1 generates from them. Expert Peter Windsor too tends to agree with these fans. The Australian journalist recently explained in an interview how Max Verstappen could be one of the first drivers who perhaps would express his concerns with the recent announcement.
When Windsor was asked by Cameron if F1 was “selling its soul” by introducing the Madrid GP, the former Ferrari boss explained on the latter’s YouTube channel, “You get drivers like Max who aren’t afraid to speak out. They say that this is a trend we are not particularly fond of. And I agree with that“.
Windsor then explained how F1 is perhaps no longer catering to the demand of purist fans. As a result of more and more street circuits, the journalist believes that F1 seems to prefer having more DRS zones for more overtaking and potentially also crashes.
As for how F1 came up with the idea of having a GP in Madrid, Windsor revealed that the plans were already in place when an exhibition was held in the city last year. The exhibition took place at the IFEMA Madrid, which also happens to be the location of the track for the race in the city.
Windsor reveals in the interview that at the time of the exhibition in Madrid, the circuit organizers interestingly also had a discussion of where they’ll have the paddocks and the garages. Hence, it’s clear that F1 had clear plans for a future race in Madrid as early as last year.
Madrid GP circuit similar to that of Miami GP
According to a report issued by si.com, F1 went through 24 models before they decided on the layout for the upcoming Madrid Grand Prix. F1 finally decided that the circuit of the Madrid GP will be similar to that of the Miami GP.
The track for the Madrid GP will also be a hybrid street circuit that will incorporate both street sections and also a permanent track. Such a move from F1 is likely to be a huge success as the race will take place in the center of Madrid city. As a result, F1 will not have to put in too much effort to market their races to increase the attendance.
Let’s go racing in Madrid!
Say hello to the brand-new circuit built around the @IFEMA Exhibition Centre ✨#F1 pic.twitter.com/klysY8HAiT
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 23, 2024
While the Madrid GP is likely to be a huge success from the commercial point of view, there is likely to be a certain section of the fans who will not appreciate this move. Since street circuits are usually narrow, there could be few overtakes during races.
Another concern that some F1 fans have is that the entry of Madrid onto the calendar from the 2026 season onwards will be the end of the Barcelona race. The fans believe so because of the current Concorde Agreement, and the fact that F1 has already designed Madrid as the chosen city to host the Spanish GP from the 2026 season onwards.
As per the current Concorde Agreement, F1 cannot have more than 24 races in a single year. Since F1 already had 24 before the introduction of the Madrid Grand Prix, the most likely race that the sport is likely to remove is the one that takes place in Barcelona.
