Located around the IFEMA Madrid exhibition complex and the surrounding Valdebebas district, MADRING is Formula One’s newest purpose-designed Grand Prix venue. Scheduled to debut in 2026 as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix, the circuit combines permanent racing infrastructure with public roads to create one of the most innovative layouts of the modern era.
Rather than following the traditional formula of either a permanent circuit or a temporary street course, MADRING blends both concepts into a single continuous lap. The result is a venue designed to deliver high average speeds, multiple overtaking opportunities and a close connection with the city of Madrid while retaining the engineering quality expected of a modern Formula One circuit.
At its centre lies La Monumental, a dramatic banked corner intended to become one of Formula One’s most recognisable modern landmarks.
In Brief
- MADRING debuts as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix in 2026.
- The circuit combines permanent infrastructure with public roads in a single hybrid layout.
- La Monumental is expected to become Formula One’s most distinctive modern banked corner, with a 24% banking.
- The track includes the high-speed Las Enlazadas de Valdebebas sequence, designed to be taken almost flat-out.
- The venue is designed for a capacity exceeding 110,000 spectators, with expansion potential.
- It marks Formula One’s return to Madrid for the first time since the Jarama era.
History
Madrid has played an important role in Spanish motorsport for decades. The historic Circuito del Jarama hosted Formula One until 1981, after which the Spanish Grand Prix moved permanently to Barcelona.
In 2024, Formula One announced that Madrid would once again host the Spanish Grand Prix beginning in 2026 under a long-term agreement. Rather than reusing an existing circuit, organisers elected to build an entirely new hybrid venue around IFEMA Madrid, combining newly constructed permanent sections with existing public roads.
Construction progressed rapidly throughout 2025 and 2026, with the circuit specifically designed to maximise spectator accessibility while introducing several innovative engineering features, including its signature banked corner and high-speed linked sections through Valdebebas.
The inaugural Formula One race will mark Madrid’s return to the World Championship after a 45-year absence.
Circuit Design
The Grand Prix layout measures 5.416 kilometres and features 22 corners in a clockwise configuration. Approximately forty percent of the lap uses purpose-built permanent infrastructure, while the remainder follows public roads surrounding IFEMA and Valdebebas.
The layout alternates between technical urban sections, long straights and flowing permanent-circuit sequences. Unlike conventional street circuits, generous track widths and multiple heavy braking zones have been incorporated specifically to encourage overtaking.
The circuit’s defining feature is La Monumental, a sweeping banked corner inspired by Spain’s historic bullrings. Measuring more than 500 metres in length with a 24% banking, it is intended to become one of Formula One’s signature corners.
Another highlight is the high-speed sequence known as Las Enlazadas de Valdebebas, where Formula One cars are expected to negotiate multiple linked corners at full throttle before braking heavily into Turn 17.
Corner Guide
Madring is defined by its combination of fast, flowing sections and more technical sequences shaped around the existing urban environment of Madrid. Unlike a conventional permanent circuit, the layout must accommodate the geometry and constraints of its surroundings, creating changes in rhythm between rapid direction changes, substantial braking areas and slower corners where traction becomes increasingly important.
The lap combines sections designed to encourage close racing with more committed corners where maintaining momentum and accurate positioning are essential. A particularly distinctive feature is La Monumental, the circuit’s steeply banked corner, which introduces sustained lateral loading and a form of high-speed cornering unusual for a contemporary street circuit. Elsewhere, long acceleration zones lead into stronger braking opportunities, creating a repeated contrast between speed and technical precision.
Rather than being dominated by a single traditional corner sequence, Madring’s challenge comes from adapting as the character of the circuit changes around the lap. Drivers must combine confidence through its faster sections with braking stability, traction and precise positioning through the more confined portions of the course.
Madring represents a new chapter in Spain’s long relationship with Formula One. From 2026, the circuit becomes the home of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, bringing World Championship racing back to the capital and adding a major new venue to a country with an exceptionally deep history in both automobile and motorcycle competition.
Its arrival is particularly significant because Madrid has hosted Formula One before, most notably at Circuito del Jarama, but Madring represents a fundamentally different generation of Grand Prix venue. Rather than relying on an established permanent autodrome, the project integrates Formula One with a major urban exhibition district, extensive transport infrastructure and purpose-built sections designed around contemporary racing and event requirements.
The circuit also reflects the increasing importance of destination-based Grands Prix within modern Formula One. Like Miami and Las Vegas, Madring is intended to connect racing with the wider identity and infrastructure of a major international city, while its hybrid design attempts to preserve more of the technical character normally associated with a permanent circuit.
Madring’s historical significance is therefore still to be established through competition. Its importance today lies in what it represents: Formula One’s return to Madrid, a new era for the Spanish Grand Prix and an ambitious hybrid approach to contemporary circuit design. Unlike historic venues whose reputations were created over decades, Madring begins its story with the 2026 season.
Visitor Experience
One of MADRING’s greatest strengths is its accessibility.
Unlike many modern circuits built far from city centres, the venue is directly connected to Madrid’s metro, rail network and the nearby Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. Spectators can reach the circuit quickly while enjoying one of Europe’s great capitals before and after the race weekend.
Visitors can combine the Grand Prix with the cultural attractions of Madrid, including the Prado Museum, Royal Palace of Madrid, Plaza Mayor and the city’s celebrated culinary scene.
Location
MADRING is located around the IFEMA Madrid exhibition complex in north-eastern Madrid, adjacent to the Valdebebas district and only a few minutes from Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport.
Its urban setting makes it one of the most easily accessible Formula One venues in Europe.
Address
Avenida del Partenón 5
28042 Madrid
Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid
Spain
Website