Stefano Domenicali says long-term deals is the thing now with promoters after signing up the Madrid race, as Barcelona is not out of question.
The move out of Barcelona was incoming but it wasn’t clear if Madrid will become the new host of Spanish GP, taking over from the long-standing Catalunya circuit. The announcement on Tuesday firmed it up about the shift in venue.
While it is not clear what happens in 2026 until when Barcelona is supposed to host the Spanish GP but as of now Madrid has a deal from 2026 until 2035. F1 chief Domenicali was readily impressed by what the promoters aimed when he heard about the project.
He believes that the organisers are considering the whole experience and a long-term deal is the way forward as more and more promoters are looking at the future. He is not discounting Barcelona from the calendar yet but Madrid remains in focus.
“It’s great news for Formula 1 as it shows once again that there is strong appetite around the world for our sport,” said Domenicali to F1 website. “It shows that at a moment where Europe is perceived to be a place that is not ready to invest in our sport, Madrid and others are showing it is.
“They have presented a fascinating project, one that will be built in the next couple of years and a project that is considering the fans and their whole experience, from their travel to the whole event experience. The proposition we received from the promoter was great. Since the first day, it has been an open discussion of what this event can be.
“I’m very pleased that it’s a deal that takes us to 2035 – it’s a long time. This is the objective as F1, with either new or more established promoters. It allows everyone involved to plan the future and invest in the future as it is a guarantee for the promoter, for our partners, for our teams and for our sport. It gives everyone long-term visibility.
“If you look at the past, the renewals were two years, three years or five years maximum. Now all our new deals are going in the direction of being very long. And if they are short, there is a reason. For the avoidance of doubt and to clarify here, the fact we are in Madrid is not excluding the fact we could stay in Barcelona for the future.
“Looking ahead, there are discussions in place to see if we can really extend our collaboration with Barcelona, with whom we have a very good relationship, for the future,” summed up Domenicali, as he also stressed on Spain becoming a bigger market for them in recent times and this problem of multiple circuits in same country is nice.
“Spain was a market that just a couple of years ago, was not in the centre of our eyes,” continued Domenicali. “Now it is very important. We signed a new deal with Spanish broadcaster DAZN until at least the end of 2026. It’s a nice problem to have, to have multiple cities – some in the same country – wanting to host a Grand Prix. It shows the value of our proposition. But we need to keep focused on the reason for our success and make sure we aren’t complacent.”
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