Daily Times

MADRID: Formula One will return to Madrid after 45 years when the city stages a grand prix from 2026 on a track including street and non-street sections.

F1 president Stefano Domenicali was in Madrid for the official announcement on Tuesday of the multi-year deal that will bring the series back to the Madrid region.

The Spanish capital contracted with F1 until 2035.

Barcelona´s current contract with F1 ends in 2026. The Barcelona-Catalunya track has been hosting the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991.

The new 5.4-kilometer (3.3-mile) circuit, which still needs to be approved by FIA, is expected to feature 20 corners around the city exhibition center. F1 said the circuit will include a paddock building, a new race tower, office spaces, VIP hospitality and entertainment areas.

F1 said the venue was projected to have capacity for more than 110,000 fans per day across grandstand, general admission and VIP hospitality. There were also plans to grow the circuit capacity to 140,000 per day over the first half of the contract, “making Madrid one of the largest venues on the F1 calendar.”

The new track was about five minutes from the Madrid airport and near a main metro station and with easy access by buses. F1 said the Spanish GP will become “one of the most accessible races on the F1 calendar,” with nearly 90% of fans able to travel to the track via public transportation.