MadRing vs Circuit de Barcelona: Can Spain support two Formula 1 weekends?

Carlos Sainz sat behind the steering wheel of the 2023 Williams car and drove around on three separate occasions at the roadshow of the MadRing.

While Sainz is the ambassador of the MadRing that will host the Spanish Grand Prix, the other Spanish driver, Fernando Alonso, has the same duties at the Barcelona track.

"Fernando and I are rivals, but we're also friends. Fernando helped me a lot during the first part of my sporting career to get to where I am today, and I'll always be grateful. I'm glad they named him Barcelona's ambassador. If we can both do our best to ensure Spain has two races, it's even better for Spain," he answered GPblog's question at the press conference ahead of his runs.

In the current season, only the United States and Italy have more than a single Formula 1 event, and next year, for now on paper, only Spain will share that with the North American country.

At the previous weekend, Alonso sounded sure that the Barcelona track will remain after its contract runs out in 2026, while Madrid has its spot secured for the year.

Sainz believes there is no reason why the two tracks would compete against each other. "Madrid and Barcelona are compatible. I know they're compatible. Next year we'll race in Madrid and we'll race in Barcelona. I'll have two Grands Prix at my home, and that's something that makes me incredibly proud in my country. Having two races is incredible, something very few drivers are lucky enough to have."

"We're going to have them next year, and we don't know if we'll be able to continue having them. As you know, I wish Barcelona all the best. It's been my home for many years. I hope they stay on the calendar, just as I hope Madrid is a success and I can continue to have two home races throughout my sporting career," he concluded.