FIA denies rapid arrival of Madrid GP: 'Important steps not taken'

Lately, persistent rumours were circulating about the Spanish Grand Prix moving from Barcelona to Madrid from 2026. The FIA denies that such a deal is imminent, saying that the Formula 1 project is not yet as advanced as claimed.

Speculation suggests that the deal for an F1 race in Madrid is very close. The plan is to host a GP on a five-kilometre-long circuit around the IFEMA conference centre northeast of the city, near Madrid-Barajas International Airport.

However, according to the FIA, the project is not as advanced as suggested. "There is a clear process to have a grand prix in a place, and I don't think that the process is being followed based on what you read," Carmelo Sanz de Barros, president of both the FIA Senate and the Spanish Automobile Federation Real Automóvil Club de España told Autosport.com.

Sanz de Barros stresses that the Spanish Automobile Federation is taking the first steps towards a new GP but states that the federation has not yet seen the project. "This special step has not happened yet," he explained. As a result, the FIA has also not yet received the project details, and there is certainly no agreement yet.