Madrid to host Spanish GP from 2026.

Madrid will host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 to 2035 on a new street circuit around the capital's IFEMA exhibition centre, Formula One said on Tuesday in an announcement that left Barcelona facing an uncertain future.

The Circuit de Catalunya's current contract expires after the 2026 race but Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali suggested the Barcelona track could remain on the calendar beyond then.

Sources indicated there was a possibility of Spain having two races in 2026.

The country currently has two Formula One drivers -- Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and double world champion Fernando Alonso, now 42 but still a frequent podium finisher last season, at Aston Martin.

With Sainz in the audience, Domenicali declared the Madrid contract marked the start of "an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain.

Madrid last hosted a grand prix at Jarama to the north of the city in 1981, with Barcelona becoming the home of the Spanish race in 1991.

Domenicali said the Madrid deal also showed Europe was still eager to invest in the sport at a time of growth in new venues in the Americas, with the United States now hosting three races, and Middle East.

The proposed 5.47km circuit, using both street and non-street sections, remains subject to FIA homologation and safety checks as well as calendar approval by the World Motor Sport Council.

The layout, near the city's Barajas airport and with 90% of fans expected to access the venue by public transport links, will feature 20 corners.

The venue's projected capacity is more than 110,000 spectators per day with plans to increase that to 140,000 over the first half of the agreement, making Madrid one of the largest venues on the calendar.

Source: www.japantimes.co.jp

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