Spanish Grand Prix organisers in Madrid have finally agreed a contract to build the circuit that will host its first race from next year. The project, has been awarded to a consortium formed by Acciona and Eiffage Construcción for €83.2 million (£71.2m).
Acciona, a Spanish conglomerate focused on the development of infrastructure and renewable energy, was awarded 60% of the contract, with the remaining 40% going to Eiffage Construcción, a French company that operates in the construction sector all across Europe.
The consortium said it plans to start work on all the permanent structures this month and to complete construction by May next year. The circuit is scheduled to host its first grand prix in 2026 after having secured a contract until 2035. Barcelona has hosted the Spanish GP since 1991.
The news should put an end to speculation about the future of the race amid uncertainty following the difficulty in securing a contract to build the circuit.
The 3.36 mile layout will be located in the northeast of Madrid and will run mostly within the IFEMA exhibition centre, while 0.8 miles of the track will run on public roads. The works will also include the restoration of the public roads that will be part of the circuit once the race is over.
The Madrid circuit layout
According to a statement, the project will reuse nearly 700,000 square metres of earth from road cutting and excavations, and the works’ CO2 emissions will be offset by specific sustainability measures. Acciona said the vehicles used for the construction will be powered by HVO, a renewable biofuel. Previously, Acciona had been involved in the construction of the Motorland Aragón circuit, also in Spain.
Two races per country unlikely – Domenicali
Madrid will replace Barcelona as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix, although the latter was still hopeful of retaining a spot on the calendar in the future.
However, with growing interest from new locations to join the calendar, Barcelona’s efforts are not guaranteed to pay off.
The new proposed Madrid GP circuit has come under fire for being a bland layout in an uninspiring location – but its designer Jarno Zaffelli tells Motor Sport that the critics will be silenced once racing gets underway
By
James Elson
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said earlier this week that it was becoming very difficult for countries to hold two races. Domenicali’s comments referred to rumours that Imola could be dropped from the calendar after this year.
“Italy has always been and will be an important part of Formula 1,” he told RAI radio. “It will be increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country because interest in F1 is growing and it’s a situation we will have to deal with in the coming months.
“It’s hard for this situation with Imola and Monza to continue together on the calendar for long.” The United States currently hosts three races in Texas, Miami and Las Vegas.
