Madrid declares interest in holding an F1 race

Thursday 23 June 2022

F1 | Madrid declares interest in holding an F1 race

Madrid announces an interest in hosting a future Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The Spanish capital city of Madrid has officially announced that it would like to hold a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The last time the sport visited the region of San Sebastián de los Reyes, just 20 miles North of the Spanish capital, was in 1981, when the Circuito del Jarama hosted its ninth Grand Prix.

The lap record is held by Gilles Villeneuve, in his 1979 Ferrari (312T4).

The official Twitter account for the ‘Comunidad de Madrid’ (@ComunidadMadrid) posted a letter from Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Interior, Enrique Lopez, to Formula One President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali, expressing his, ‘interest in the development of a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Madrid.’

Lopez wrote: 

“It is my pleasure to write [to] you on behalf of the Government of the Community of Madrid to express our interest in the development of a Formula 1 grand prix in Madrid.

“I believe that holding in Madrid a motor racing event, which is one of the most exciting sporting phenomena of our time, would be a success for all the professionals, institutions and companies involved in the development of Formula 1.

“The Government of the Community of Madrid has the greatest interest in making it possible.

“In short, I would like to confirm our commitment to you and to this project, as well as our willingness to sign the appropriate agreements to promote the race. We are ready to work with you and your team to bring Formula 1 to Madrid.”

Since 1991, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been hosting the Spanish Grand Prix, and between 2008 - 2012, the port city of Valencia was the venue for the European Grand Prix. 

It may be that another established circuit has to give way to accommodate Madrid, should the offer to host a Grand Prix become a reality.