F1 drivers share thoughts on potential of Madrid eventually replacing Barcelona on the calendar as the home of Spanish GP after the 2026 season.
As things stand, both Barcelona and Madrid will host a F1 race in 2026, with the former likely running the Spanish GP tagline and the latter using the Madrid GP name. Barcelona has a deal which ends in 2026, while Madrid inked a deal which starts out in 2026 and runs for 10 seasons.
There are rumours that Barcelona may cut short its run deal, with the 2025 event being the last. Once the provisional 2026 calendar is out, things will be clearer. In the meantime, work at Madrid is already on, as they also roped in Williams’ Carlos Sainz to be its brand ambassador.
The new circuit is mostly a street circuit, which will be a fresh start after years of permanent arena. The last time Spain hosted a grand prix on the streets was in Valencia, which is now an abandoned area. Whether or not it hosts the 2026 event, Barcelona is likely to return as a test venue.
Due to the regulation change, F1 is to host multiple pre-season tests, with Barcelona among the names speculated to run it. Some of the drivers expressed their views about losing the permanent circuit from the calendar to Madrid. If they were to decide, they would keep it on the calendar.
Fernando Alonso: “Well, I don’t think that we will lose Barcelona. So that’s my opinion and my wish as well. I think it’s good to have new venues. It’s good to have new countries as well that Formula 1 has moved to in the last decade. But at the same time, we need to keep some traditional circuits where the history of Formula 1 has been written and made. And I think Formula 1 and Barcelona are very linked. We’ve been testing here for decades. I think all the teams choose Barcelona when they have to choose one test track. We come back next year here in winter because we have new regulations, new cars, and again, once again, the teams chose Barcelona because it’s the Formula 1 track in a way.
“And I think the circuit has made some changes to make it up to Formula 1 standards. So in the last two or three years, all the paddock facilities, the grandstands, everything has taken a new level. And Barcelona has been here for the last two or three decades, and Barcelona will be here for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years. And some of the venues will be just momentarily on the calendar and then probably they will disappear again. So, we cannot lose Barcelona.”
Lewis Hamilton: “As long as they build a good circuit, which I’m less hopeful for – building new circuits is very, very hit and miss. 90 plus per cent of the time it’s worse. As long as it’s a better circuit, or as good a circuit, I’m not bothered either way. I think ultimately losing any of the classics, and this is one of the classics, I think would be a shame, because as I said, it’s a great city, there’s a great following here in Spain, particularly since Fernando was here. This feels like a home of Formula 1 in Spain, but it’s okay to progress as a sport, and I know Madrid, as I said, is a great location.”
Max Verstappen: “I mean, I enjoy driving here, it’s a very good track, very enjoyable. Of course the racing sometimes is a bit more difficult. I think for F1 in general it would be a bit of a loss of course if this track goes. Especially I think for the drivers, but I think even the fan experience is nice, close to Barcelona. I get of course also that maybe they want to build something in Madrid and create a bit of a hype there. It’s not up to me anyway.”
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