Doubts grow over 2026 F1 GP as bosses select a backup plan.

05:23, 25 Nov

byBen Hunt

Formula 1’s eagerly anticipated 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, set to debut on a new “Madring” street circuit, could be in jeopardy, according to reports emerging from Italy.

The area where the Madring paddock building should be. Photo: RMC Motori

The new circuit, home to the Spanish GP, has undergone numerous challenges in its construction and there are concerns on whether the new 5.4 km Madring layout - combining street and purpose-built sections around Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre - will be completed and homologated in time for its planned debut on 13th September 2026.

According to Italian outlet RMC Motori, there is growing scepticism over whether construction and safety checks can be finalised in time - despite assurances that the planned building is on target.

However, further complicating matters are protests in Madrid by local residents, who have raised issues around noise, environmental impact, and the use of public funds have caused delay.

The area that leads to the main straight. Photo: RMC Motori

Imola Waiting in the Wings

Should Madring miss its deadline or fail inspection, Imola is being mooted as a potential fallback. The circuit, which was dropped from the 2026 calendar, could step in for at least one year. Imola’s mayor Marco Panieri and Emilia-Romagna president Michele de Pascale had previously issued statements saying their exclusion “is by no means the final word,” and claim a race budget has already been allocated in case of a Madrid forfeit.

The Madring circuit needs to be race ready in 7 months time. Photo: RMC Motori.

However, switching to Imola raises its own challenges. The Madrid race is scheduled for 13th September, just a week after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 6th September. Logistically and commercially, two back-to-back races in Italy could be problematic as Monza organisers may resist losing attendance or clashing with Imola.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, himself from Imola, has previously warned that it may be “hard to keep two F1 races in Italy” under a packed 24-race calendar. Meanwhile, some sources suggest Istanbul Park in Turkey could also be considered as another backup option. The track last hosted an F1 race in 2021, a race won by Valtteri Bottas, when it returned to the calendar as a replacement for Canada, which was implicated by COVID restrictions.

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