F1 has confirmed that it will be returning to Madrid to host the Spanish GP from the 2026 season onwards. While 2026 will also mark the new era of F1 engines, it will also bring back the sport to the Spanish capital. However, why is it a return if Madrid will host the race on a brand-new street track? Formula 1 has raced in Madrid previously on a purpose-built circuit in Jarama, which is located just north of the city, in the 70s.
The Spanish GP has happened on a variety of different venues in Spain before the Barcelona-Catalunya track became the home of the race in recent years. The Circuito del Jarama was first commissioned in the 1960s and hosted its first Spanish GP race in 1968.
While it was a non-championship event, as not all Grands Prix back in the day awarded championship points, it became a recurring fixture on the F1 calendar post that. However, the catch was it alternatively hosted the Spanish GP with another track in Barcelona – Montjuic.
The contrast between Jarama and Montjuic is that the latter was a street track with fast and sweeping corners. Meanwhile, the circuit in Jarama was slow, tight, and twisty with just one long main straight. Jarama would host the Spanish GP in even-numbered years, while Montjuic would host it in odd-numbered years.
When and why did F1 switch away from Jarama, Madrid?
This arrangement carried on until the 1975 race saw a tragedy. The Montjuic track did not have safe barriers and that caused a major accident when a car crashed during the race and killed off four spectators. This confined the race to Jarama from 1976 onwards.
The Spanish GP carried on at the Jarama track near Madrid till 1981 (with 1980 being a non-championship event). However, for ’82, they canceled the event as the organizers were keen on hosting golf near the track. Meanwhile, there were also weather issues as the race used to be held in late June.
Eventually, F1 dropped the Spanish GP off the calendar for some years. It was in 1986 when the Jerez track near Seville saw the return of the race in Spain. Meanwhile, Jarama never returned to the calendar ever since. Jerez hosted the Spanish GP intermittently from 1986 to 1990 and then again in 1994 and 1997.
However, this was also the time the Catalunya track in Barcelona started to host the race more often. Since then, it has been the regular host of the Spanish GP. However, with Madrid now coming in 2026 with the modern street track in the city, what happens to the Catalunya track?
Will F1 drop Barcelona altogether as the Spanish GP venue, in favor of Madrid?
Madrid has signed a long-term deal to host the Spanish GP from 2026 to 2035. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has stated that it is a big deal as it signifies the growth of the sport in Europe too, besides the USA and Middle East.
With the rising popularity of F1 in Spain, this new event in Madrid does not necessarily mean they would leave Barcelona, says the Italian. Domenicali cited that Spain is a crucial market for F1.
So, they are not excluding the possibility of extending the deal with the Barcelona circuit, which runs till 2026. So, does that mean F1 will have two races in Spain from the 2026 season?
It is possible as F1 has two Spanish drivers on the grid currently – Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. The Spanish fanbase is also one of the most passionate in the sport and the viewership figures support this fact. In 2023, the overall season audience for F1 in Spain was 77 million, averaging 3.5 million per race.
For the Spanish GP itself, over 10 million people watched it in the country with great social media engagement. Thus, there is a market potential to tap in for F1 and have two races in the Iberian country.
However, will the Catalunya venue have enough financial backing to retain F1 and become the 2nd race besides Madrid? That is the key question, as Liberty Media may be looking to phase out the Barcelona track which often has got mixed reactions due to the lack of quality and exciting racing.
