As the Prado Museum demonstrates, Madrid knows its fine arts.
Crossing signals resemble birdsong and Mexican conifers sway gently above waiting traffic against a backdrop of impressive palatial architecture, which contrasts with the relatively flat block layout of the city centre.
This may not have been the best racing experience, so organizers opted for what outsiders may see as an underappreciated exhibition area run by the quasi-state organization Ifema next to the city’s airport.
“It all started as a joke, it was a fantasy,” says Luis García Abad, Madring’s boss and former coach of Spain’s only world champion, Fernando Alonso, among other Spanish sports stars.
“An F1 grand prix is like a unicorn: you always try to see the unicorn but in the end you realize [sometimes] It’s impossible.
“The queue of cities trying to organize an F1 GP is enormous. They have to choose well: we signed a 10-year contract.
“Maybe seven or eight years ago we talked about this race. At some point Ifema called me and said ‘what are you thinking?’ [about its viability]?’ after a morning [here] I said, ‘It’s possible.’
The new venue may be a world away from the flamenco-inspired boutiques and wine bars of the intimate Salamanca district, but Madrid is relatively tiny compared to other high-profile capitals and has high-quality public transportation.
As a result, organizers are cutting off many of the parking lots and asking fans to leave their own engines at home.
But don’t expect Patrick Dempsey, Rafael Nadal and Mbappé to be standing on the Avenida de América platform to board the pink line to the circuit: they will breathe easy in the VIP spaces near the spacious paddock of the VIP area with capacity for six people.
Regardless of the journey there, what will fans find?
“It is a real experience, not only to be in Madrid but also for F1,” says Abad. “Each part of the track has its own personality. Monumental… Turn 12 is huge, incredible.
“We really wanted to have an iconic part of the circuit: more than 30,000 people at each corner.”
Ah yes, Monumental. The corner that everyone talks about in F1 when they talk about this race.
A challenge with a bank of 26 degrees, substantially longer than that of the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. Monumental scythes through what will seem like a small town on race day.
It comes complete with a VIP viewing area that could house the King of Spain and his family and sits, appropriately, like a castle on top of the hill. It is a difficult structure to climb and, in 44°C heat, it is impossible to sit on it.
“Luis wanted to think of something recognizable in our circuit. Something iconic,” says Ifema’s director of operations, Carlos Jiménez.
Monumental wasn’t the only complex part of building a track, which Jiménez said lends itself to sustainability. Power for the race comes from renewable energy and partially uses existing buildings around the site. However, additional construction around the circuit has involved an investment of €65 million, with the track itself costing €85 million.
“There were a lot of challenges,” he says. “We started building it in the wettest winter of the last 20 years in Spain. The rain was torrential. We suffered a lot and had to stabilize parts of clay that behave poorly in wet conditions. It was a great challenge. There are three layers of asphalt here. We learned from one layer to the next.
“In 2022 it seemed like a slightly crazy idea to me,” adds Jiménez. “But Madrid has momentum right now; it’s a vibrant city, well known for football.
“Just as a ski resort must have entertainment for apres-ski, a circuit must have good entertainment after the race. Madrid will be positioned in first position: the offer of this city is incredible in terms of gastronomy, a spectacular climate, which is very mild in September. And the partying in Madrid is unbeatable.”
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